Metabolomic Diagnostics has developed technology that analyses the levels of particular combinations of biomarkers present in a person’s blood. These markers are selected so that their combined levels can provide information of this person’s risk of developing a certain condition.
For PrePsia™ a set of biomarkers is analysed from a blood sample which allow for establishing a pregnant woman’s risk of developing preeclampsia well in advance of clinical systems appearing.
By looking at biomarkers in blood and/or other biofluids like urine, sweat or saliva to name a few, it is possible to create a “physiological snapshot” of living cells and the organism in which they exist, like a human.
As such, Metabolomics, the study of all “small molecules” present within an organism, cell, or tissue, is also used to understand how disease occurs. Examples of metabolites for which divergent blood levels are well-known to associate with (future) disease are glucose for diabetes or cholesterol for heart disease. Researchers also used metabolomics to look for new biomarkers or patterns that can predict pre-eclampsia.
Following the discovery of sets of metabolites by Professors Kenny and Baker, Metabolomic Diagnostics took on the task to build on these findings and develop pre-clampsia risk prediction tests which clinical utility. If you are interested in the research involved in this so-called “translational Research”: you can find much more information on our Research Page.
To determine the levels of several metabolites simultaneously in a drop of blood, Metabolomic Diagnostics applies an analytical technology called “Liquid Chromatography – tandem Mass Spectrometry”, abbreviated to “LC-MS/MS”. With this technology, one can separate (within minutes) a complex mixture of molecules and then unambiguously identify and quantify these molecules of interest. The highlighted attributes make LC-MS/MS the technology of choice when a clinical test requires for the analysis of multiple biomarkers at once. It is therefore unsurprising LC-MS/MS is rapidly being adopted in clinical diagnostics laboratories worldwide.
With PrePsia™ calculating a pregnant woman’s risk of developing pre-eclampsia based on the levels of a handful of metabolites, PrePsia™ will also be based on a dedicated LC-MS/MS analysis, which will be offered through established clinical laboratories with LC-MS/MS capabilities.
To enable the development of PrePsia™, Metabolomic Diagnostics firstly developed MetaDxSCOUT, a versatile LC-MS/MS based translational research platform.
- Using MetaDxSCOUT in a cohort of bio specimens we have successfully;
- Isolated biomarkers predictive of Preeclampsia
- Selected the optimum biomarker combination
- Developed the algorithm to interpret these results
- Compared test performance to the current ‘best in class’ product
- Commenced development of dedicated PrePsia™ Assay for the target metabolites
- Established MetaDx’s first product to bring to market – PrePsia™ V1.0