The function of the immune system can be determined from a single drop of blood using a new innovative method developed at the University of Pécs (PTE), the higher education institution told MTI on Tuesday. In their statement, they wrote that the experts of the Faculty of Pharmacy of PTE have achieved a breakthrough in the field of immunological studies with their work at the Szentágothai János Research Center (SzKK) at the university. With the newly developed procedure and the equipment provided by the biotechnology company ThermoFisher, experts can quickly and reliably determine whether someone has a congenital or acquired immune deficiency, they said.
They pointed out that although immune testing is vital for the prevention and treatment of various diseases, the methods currently available are expensive and complicated, making it difficult to reliably assess the state of the immune system. The new method allows them to detect and assess with complete confidence the by-products of the development of B cells from bone marrow and T cells from the thymus within 24 hours, i.e., to determine how well the immune system of the people being tested is functioning.
Determining whether a patient has a congenital or acquired immune deficiency is important because severe – even fatal – combined immunodeficiency syndromes can occur in newborns, rarely, however, but early detection is essential to protect the children concerned, they wrote. They also pointed out that the new study could be very useful for monitoring the health of athletes and immunosuppressed people, such as organ transplant recipients, some cancer patients, and people living with HIV.
Source: Hungary Today
