A diagnostic test developed by researchers at the University of California San Francisco aims to help physicians identify causes of severe infections by analyzing DNA and RNA to detect a range of pathogens.
Unlike traditional diagnostic tests, which focus on specific substances like proteins or hormones, the new test sequences all genetic material from a blood, tissue or body fluid sample, comparing it against a database of viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites, according to two studies. One was published Nov. 12 in Nature Medicine and the second was published in Nature Communications, according to a Nov. 12 news release from UCSF. .
The test, which has been effective in diagnosing neurological infections such as meningitis and encephalitis, has demonstrated its ability to detect 86% of such infections from more than 4,800 spinal fluid samples collected at UCSF.
Although the test is not a replacement for traditional diagnostics for illnesses such as COVID-19 or strep throat, it has shown promise in hospital settings where patients present severe symptoms and initial tests fail to provide answers, the research showed.
The test is not widely available, as it costs around $3,000 per sample and is used by fewer than 10 labs routinely, Charles Chiu, MD, PhD, a professor of laboratory medicine and infectious diseases at UCSF and the senior author of the study published in Nature Medicine, told NBC News.