Danaher and University of Oxford Collaborate to Develop Rapid Precision Diagnostic for Sepsis
Danaher
Product Design and Manufacturer
Recently, Danaher collaborated with the University of Oxford to co-develop a novel testing method supporting precision treatment of clinical sepsis. Sepsis, a pathological immune response caused by infection, is associated with approximately one-fifth of global deaths each year.
This collaboration will be based on the research from the laboratory of Professor Julian Knight, a genomic expert at the University of Oxford and an authority in the biology of sepsis. This novel test applies the rapid molecular diagnostic technology of Cepheid, a company under Danaher Corporation, to differentiate between various subtypes of sepsis and to develop new personalized treatment pathways, such as effective targeted therapies.
Sepsis is a serious condition that occurs when the immune system fails to respond properly to an infection and damages tissues throughout the body. Without external intervention, it can lead to complete organ failure.
At present, doctors are unable to accurately determine which patients may develop sepsis after infection, which early cases of sepsis may progress to severe and life-threatening conditions, and which mechanisms of immune dysfunction are responsible.
However, recent research from Knight's group shows that molecular tests based on measuring white blood cell RNA can identify specific immune responses associated with poor prognosis, and such results benefit from drug intervention.
Classifying patients' sepsis at the molecular level can bring many potential benefits to clinical diagnosis and treatment, such as helping doctors choose appropriate treatment methods and measures, and also aiding pharmaceutical companies in identifying suitable patients for clinical trials of different therapies.
We are delighted to collaborate on this innovative project. We believe this will accelerate the application of precision medicine in sepsis treatment, enabling us to quickly identify and treat patients with specific sepsis response states. We also hope this testing method will help clinicians choose the appropriate treatment for each patient.
In our research, we have applied molecular testing to investigate whether specific patient subgroups would benefit from particular interventions. We now have a method to measure the expression of a small number of genes, which allows us to estimate the likelihood of a worse outcome – the sepsis response signature.
Professor Julian Knight's research is supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC). He pointed out that current methods using RNA sequencing and other gene expression measurements take days or even weeks, which is too long for clinical practice given the rapid deterioration of sepsis patients. This collaboration will focus on developing a new detection method to determine patient subgroups in about an hour. If we can quickly categorize patients with easy-to-use tests in this way, then we can conduct clinical trials with potential treatments.
Cepheid's testing products and technologies will be based on real-time PCR systems from sample to result, enabling rapid multiplex molecular diagnostics and delivering highly accurate results in minutes.
This collaboration with the University of Oxford is part of the Danaher Beacon project. The Danaher Beacon project aims to fund scientific research institutes in conducting cutting-edge scientific research and developing innovative technologies and applications that improve human health. The project focuses on areas including genomic medicine, precision diagnostics, next-generation biopharmaceutical manufacturing, human systems, and data science.
Danaher and Oxford University's collaboration will make the diagnosis and treatment of sepsis—one of the most life-threatening diseases—more clinically actionable. Whether it is promoting the development of precision medicine, enabling smarter clinical trial development, or helping patients receive more suitable treatments, this work will ultimately benefit millions of people.
In addition to support from the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), Professor Knight's research has also received funding from the Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust.