Epigenetics company VolitionRx has announced a technical milestone with the successful detection of nucleosomes in capillary blood from critically ill sepsis patients using its lateral flow prototype.
This finger-prick sample test could be used at the point of care, greatly expanding the potential market beyond centralised laboratory testing. Volition has previously announced results demonstrating correlation between whole venous blood (standard blood draw from the arm) samples utilising its lateral flow prototype, and those of Volition's established automated Nu.Q nucleosome assay performed in a central laboratory.
This study, part of the company’s SUMMIT programme, tested capillary blood samples from hospital patients in intensive care using a lateral flow finger-prick prototype and demonstrated the detection of nucleosomes in those samples. Results showed the feasibility of early detection of immune disruptions that can occur in a range of conditions including sepsis, simply and rapidly when using the test in a variety of settings.
Cameron Reynolds, Chief Executive Officer, Volition said: "The ability to rapidly identify high-risk patients at the point-of-care by quantifying their nucleosome levels using a finger-prick sample and simple lateral flow device could enable quicker clinical decision making and consequently better patient outcomes. We believe that this is a first-in-class breakthrough which positions Volition as a pioneer in capillary blood-based nucleosome diagnostics, unlocking a new and highly scalable, portable testing modality. To our knowledge, this is the first reported finger-prick lateral-flow test to quantify nucleosomes, a marker of NETosis and diseases such as sepsis.
"Our aim going forward is to provide not just a positive-negative test, but also to give a quantitative readout to facilitate clinical decision making on a low-cost platform suitable for widespread adoption around the world. This is a potential gamechanger, not only in diseases where time is critical such as sepsis, but also in significantly expanding potential use cases beyond traditional hospital infrastructure. It also creates a compelling pathway into underserved low-income countries, where laboratory infrastructure may be weak or non-existent."