New Blood Test Identifies Past Viral Infections
Researchers have created a new diagnostic test called VirScan, which can search for any pathogen that has infected an individual in the past, or at present, from a single drop of blood.
The team of scientists published their method in the June 5th issue of the journal Science.
A total of 569 blood samples were collected from people across four continents for the initial study.
VirScan performs its core function by finding antibodies that the immune system has produced in the past in response to the arrival of an infection. These antibodies don’t dissipate in the body once they are formed so the scientists exposed the “antibodies in the patient’s blood to molecules with the virus’ molecular signature,” writes Popular Science.
VirScan can find previous exposure to an estimated “1,000 strains of viruses from 206 species,” according to The New York Times. The test would cost about $25.
The test found the 10 common species of viral infections, like influenza and the common cold, but the study noted the test found two participants who had exposure to at least 84 different viruses.
Although the authors of the report acknowledge viral exposure varied based on age and other factors, they were confident in these early results.
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The device is still in its early stages of testing and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires a multi-pronged process for verification of a new drug or medical device.
Still, members of the scientific community believe VirScan has enormous potential for the disease research field. The Times mentions the diagnostic may be able to see if viral triggers play a role in the formation of autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and Type 1 diabetes.
