New Inexpensive Test in the Works For Sickle Cell
September 4, 2014; Posted by: WeBleed staff
Harvard researchers developing new way to diagnose sickle cell anemia.
Sickle cell anemia is a genetic disease of the blood that is currently a major issue in underdeveloped countries. One fact many do not know about sickle cell is that it kills more than 50 percent of those under the age of five who are not diagnosed and treated.
Enter the prestigious Harvard University. Researchers have developed a test that could change the way sickle cell is diagnosed. According to John Tyburski of the Daily Digest News, this is what the new test is all about:
The test uses blood drawn from a suspected patient and can provide a yes or no answer within about 12 minutes for potentially 50 cents. The researchers tested 50 blood samples, half of which contained sickle-shaped red blood cells, and discriminated these samples from healthy samples with high accuracy. The ability of the test to correctly identify sickle cells, the test’s sensitivity, was 91 percent, while the test’s ability to correctly exclude healthy patient samples, the test’s specificity, was 88 percent.
Those at Harvard mentioned that the test is not yet available for human use but the end all goal is to diagnose sickle cell in young children who may be showing systems – an exciting advancement nonetheless.
Photo Credit – Daily Digest News
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