We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us
PURITAN MEDICAL

Download Mobile App




Events

09 Apr 2024 - 12 Apr 2024
15 Apr 2024 - 17 Apr 2024
23 Apr 2024 - 26 Apr 2024

Blood-Based Liver Disease Test Could Replace Invasive Biopsy

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 12 Sep 2022
Print article
Image: Highly accurate, safe, and scalable blood test could replace invasive liver biopsy (Photo courtesy of Metadeq)
Image: Highly accurate, safe, and scalable blood test could replace invasive liver biopsy (Photo courtesy of Metadeq)

Approximately one in four people worldwide, or approximately two billion people, have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and therefore are at risk of developing non-alcoholic steato-hepatitis (NASH). NASH is the most severe form of NAFLD, a silent disease associated with fatty deposit build-up of the liver. NASH leads to advanced liver diseases such as liver fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis, and liver cancer, and may ultimately result in death. Currently, the only way to diagnose NASH is through the standard of diagnosis, invasive liver biopsy, which is expensive and is associated with significant complications and discomfort. Until now, no reliable blood test has been developed for either NASH or liver fibrosis. Most importantly, no available test can define the severity (stage), or monitor the progression, of either NASH or liver fibrosis. Now, a new test uses artificial intelligence (AI) to accurately predict the stages of the whole spectrum of liver diseases, from NAFLD to NASH and liver fibrosis.

Metadeq Inc. (Boston, MA, USA) has announced a breakthrough non-invasive blood test that utilizes two novel circulating proteins to accurately diagnose NASH and liver fibrosis, and can score the stages of both diseases, without the need for invasive liver biopsy. A study that set out to discover a more accurate liquid biopsy test in support of patient care identified two novel protein biomarkers, PLIN2 and RAB14, to assist in the diagnosis of patients with NASH and/or liver fibrosis. The ability of these proteins to detect both diseases was tested in cohorts with either NASH and/or liver fibrosis that were confirmed with liver biopsy, the current standard of diagnosis.

The test results show that the proteins can provide rapid and cost-effective testing to combat the growing epidemic of NASH and liver fibrosis. This could be an invaluable tool in diagnosing and monitoring cases of liver diseases, allowing people to receive earlier treatment, from lifestyle adjustments to surgical and pharmacological interventions. The Metadeq predictive algorithm, which uses A.I., provided unprecedented sensitivity (88-95%), specificity (90-100%), and overall accuracy (92-93%) for NASH, and also has near-perfect sensitivity (99%-100%), specificity (90%-96%), and accuracy (98%-99%) for liver fibrosis.

Currently no NASH drug has been approved by either the FDA or EMA, which may be a direct result of the lack of an accurate, reliable, and non-invasive test. More than 65% of patients who enroll in clinical trials for NASH-related therapies are found to be ineligible for the trial due to screen failure, which causes major monetary losses to companies developing and testing NASH drugs. The improved accuracy and ability to detect NASH staging will help in identifying and enrolling the appropriate people in clinical trials, speeding up the development of NASH drugs.

"This blood test will allow researchers and clinicians to define the prevalence of NASH across populations, including children and adolescents, avoiding the need for invasive liver biopsy," said Professor Geltrude Mingrone from the School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine & Sciences at King's College London, who led the study in collaboration with Metadeq. "Critically, it will allow care-givers to monitor the efficacy of NASH treatments over time, reducing screen failures and helping generate better drugs."

"Since HEPAR-Q is the only diagnostic modality that can diagnose NASH and fibrosis staging we expect it to be instrumental in the development of new therapeutics for the management of patients," said Frank Jaksch, Chairman of Metadeq. "We believe that HEPAR-Q will advance for the benefit of patients the problem of regular screening, that has resulted in late drug failures during clinical trials, since it is now possible to accurately measure the severity of disease in a non-invasive manner."

Related Links:
Metadeq Inc.

Platinum Member
COVID-19 Rapid Test
OSOM COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test
One Step HbA1c Measuring System
GREENCARE A1c
Complement 3 (C3) Test
GPP-100 C3 Kit
New
Gold Member
TORCH Panel Rapid Test
Rapid TORCH Panel Test

Print article

Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: Reaching speeds up to 6,000 RPM, this centrifuge forms the basis for a new type of inexpensive, POC biomedical test (Photo courtesy of Duke University)

POC Biomedical Test Spins Water Droplet Using Sound Waves for Cancer Detection

Exosomes, tiny cellular bioparticles carrying a specific set of proteins, lipids, and genetic materials, play a crucial role in cell communication and hold promise for non-invasive diagnostics.... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: The low-cost portable device rapidly identifies chemotherapy patients at risk of sepsis (Photo courtesy of 52North Health)

POC Finger-Prick Blood Test Determines Risk of Neutropenic Sepsis in Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

Neutropenia, a decrease in neutrophils (a type of white blood cell crucial for fighting infections), is a frequent side effect of certain cancer treatments. This condition elevates the risk of infections,... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: The OvaCis Rapid Test discriminates benign from malignant epithelial ovarian cysts (Photo courtesy of INEX)

Intra-Operative POC Device Distinguishes Between Benign and Malignant Ovarian Cysts within 15 Minutes

Ovarian cysts represent a significant health issue for women globally, with up to 10% experiencing this condition at some point in their lives. These cysts form when fluid collects within a thin membrane... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.