Âé¶¹´«Ã½

Ultimate test

28 February 2004

A SINGLE blood test could diagnose any disease a person might have via a unique protein “fingerprint”, claims start-up company ProteinLogic of Cambridge, UK.

At the moment, doctors order specific tests or scans to confirm a diagnosis. But biochemist Adrian Woolfson, one of the founders of the company, has a different vision. He thinks a single test that compares levels in the blood of around 300 different proteins could diagnose any disease.

In preliminary studies, Woolfson and colleague Nick Hales say they have been able to spot diseases such as appendicitis and leukaemia. But thousands of people would have to…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with Âé¶¹´«Ã½ events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, today with our introductory offers

or

Existing subscribers

Sign in to your account
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop