AI Algorithm Predicts Diabetic Kidney Disease through Blood Tests
By LabMedica International staff writers Posted on 01 Jun 2023 |

Diabetes is globally recognized as the main contributor to kidney failure. Notable advancements have been made in devising treatments for kidney disease in diabetic patients. Yet, evaluating an individual's risk for kidney disease based solely on clinical factors can be challenging. Consequently, identifying who is most susceptible to developing diabetic kidney disease is a vital clinical need. Now, scientists have created a computational method that predicts the likelihood of a person with type 2 diabetes developing kidney disease, a common yet severe diabetes complication. This could aid physicians in preventing or improving the management of kidney disease in type 2 diabetes patients.
The new algorithm developed by researchers from Sanford Burnham Prebys (La Jolla, CA, USA) and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK, Hong Kong) relies on measuring a process known as DNA methylation, which is the accumulation of subtle changes in the DNA. DNA methylation can provide essential insights into gene activation and deactivation and can be easily measured via blood tests.
Utilizing comprehensive data from over 1,200 type 2 diabetes patients registered in the Hong Kong Diabetes Register, the researchers constructed their model which they also tested on an independent group of 326 Native Americans with type 2 diabetes. This confirmed the model's predictive power for kidney disease across diverse populations. The researchers are presently fine-tuning their model and extending its application to address other health and disease-related inquiries, such as why some cancer patients do not respond favorably to certain treatments.
“This study provides a glimpse into the powerful future of predictive diagnostics,” said co-senior author Kevin Yip, Ph.D., a professor and director of Bioinformatics at Sanford Burnham Prebys. “Our team has demonstrated that by combining clinical data with cutting-edge technology, it’s possible to develop computational models to help clinicians optimize the treatment of type 2 diabetes to prevent kidney disease.”
“Our computational model can use methylation markers from a blood sample to predict both current kidney function and how the kidneys will function years in the future, which means it could be easily implemented alongside current methods for evaluating a patient’s risk for kidney disease,” added Yip.
Related Links:
Sanford Burnham Prebys
CUHK
Latest Technology News
- Advanced Predictive Algorithms Identify Patients Having Undiagnosed Cancer
- Light Signature Algorithm to Enable Faster and More Precise Medical Diagnoses
- Disposable Microchip Technology Could Selectively Detect HIV in Whole Blood Samples
- Pain-On-A-Chip Microfluidic Device Determines Types of Chronic Pain from Blood Samples
- Innovative, Label-Free Ratiometric Fluorosensor Enables More Sensitive Viral RNA Detection
- Smartphones Could Diagnose Diseases Using Infrared Scans
- Novel Sensor Technology to Enable Early Diagnoses of Metabolic and Cardiovascular Disorders
- 3D Printing Breakthrough Enables Large Scale Development of Tiny Microfluidic Devices
- POC Paper-Based Sensor Platform to Transform Cardiac Diagnostics
- Study Explores Impact of POC Testing on Future of Diagnostics
- Low-Cost, Fast Response Sensor Enables Early and Accurate Detection of Lung Cancer
- Nanotechnology For Cervical Cancer Diagnosis Could Replace Invasive Pap Smears
- Lab-On-Chip Platform to Expedite Cancer Diagnoses
- Biosensing Platform Simultaneously Detects Vitamin C and SARS-CoV-2
- New Lens Method Analyzes Tears for Early Disease Detection
- FET-Based Sensors Pave Way for Portable Diagnostic Devices Capable of Detecting Multiple Diseases
Channels
Clinical Chemistry
view channelMass Spectrometry Detects Bacteria Without Time-Consuming Isolation and Multiplication
Speed and accuracy are essential when diagnosing diseases. Traditionally, diagnosing bacterial infections involves the labor-intensive process of isolating pathogens and cultivating bacterial cultures,... Read more
First Comprehensive Syphilis Test to Definitively Diagnose Active Infection In 10 Minutes
In the United States, syphilis cases have surged by nearly 80% from 2018 to 2023, with 209,253 cases recorded in the most recent year of data. Syphilis, which can be transmitted sexually or from mother... Read more
Mass Spectrometry-Based Monitoring Technique to Predict and Identify Early Myeloma Relapse
Myeloma, a type of cancer that affects the bone marrow, is currently incurable, though many patients can live for over 10 years after diagnosis. However, around 1 in 5 individuals with myeloma have a high-risk... Read moreHematology
view channel
New Scoring System Predicts Risk of Developing Cancer from Common Blood Disorder
Clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance (CCUS) is a blood disorder commonly found in older adults, characterized by mutations in blood cells and a low blood count, but without any obvious cause or... Read more
Non-Invasive Prenatal Test for Fetal RhD Status Demonstrates 100% Accuracy
In the United States, approximately 15% of pregnant individuals are RhD-negative. However, in about 40% of these cases, the fetus is also RhD-negative, making the administration of RhoGAM unnecessary.... Read moreImmunology
view channel
Stem Cell Test Predicts Treatment Outcome for Patients with Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer
Epithelial ovarian cancer frequently responds to chemotherapy initially, but eventually, the tumor develops resistance to the therapy, leading to regrowth. This resistance is partially due to the activation... Read more
Machine Learning-Enabled Blood Test Predicts Immunotherapy Response in Lymphoma Patients
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has emerged as one of the most promising recent developments in the treatment of blood cancers. However, over half of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients... Read moreMicrobiology
view channel
New Test Diagnoses Bacterial Meningitis Quickly and Accurately
Bacterial meningitis is a potentially fatal condition, with one in six patients dying and half of the survivors experiencing lasting symptoms. Therefore, rapid diagnosis and treatment are critical.... Read more
Handheld Device Delivers Low-Cost TB Results in Less Than One Hour
Tuberculosis (TB) remains the deadliest infectious disease globally, affecting an estimated 10 million people annually. In 2021, about 4.2 million TB cases went undiagnosed or unreported, mainly due to... Read more
New AI-Based Method Improves Diagnosis of Drug-Resistant Infections
Drug-resistant infections, particularly those caused by deadly bacteria like tuberculosis and staphylococcus, are rapidly emerging as a global health emergency. These infections are more difficult to treat,... Read more
Breakthrough Diagnostic Technology Identifies Bacterial Infections with Almost 100% Accuracy within Three Hours
Rapid and precise identification of pathogenic microbes in patient samples is essential for the effective treatment of acute infectious diseases, such as sepsis. The fluorescence in situ hybridization... Read morePathology
view channel
AI-Based Liquid Biopsy Approach to Revolutionize Brain Cancer Detection
Detecting brain cancers remains extremely challenging, with many patients only receiving a diagnosis at later stages after symptoms like headaches, seizures, or cognitive issues appear. Late-stage diagnoses... Read more
AI-Driven Analysis of Digital Pathology Images to Improve Pediatric Sarcoma Subtyping
Pediatric sarcomas are rare and diverse tumors that can develop in various types of soft tissue, such as muscle, tendons, fat, blood or lymphatic vessels, nerves, or the tissue surrounding joints.... Read more
AI-Based Model Predicts Kidney Cancer Therapy Response
Each year, nearly 435,000 individuals are diagnosed with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), making it the most prevalent subtype of kidney cancer. When the disease spreads, anti-angiogenic therapies... Read more
Sensitive and Specific DUB Enzyme Assay Kits Require Minimal Setup Without Substrate Preparation
Ubiquitination and deubiquitination are two important physiological processes in the ubiquitin-proteasome system, responsible for protein degradation in cells. Deubiquitinating (DUB) enzymes contain around... Read moreTechnology
view channel
Advanced Predictive Algorithms Identify Patients Having Undiagnosed Cancer
Two newly developed advanced predictive algorithms leverage a person’s health conditions and basic blood test results to accurately predict the likelihood of having an undiagnosed cancer, including ch... Read more
Light Signature Algorithm to Enable Faster and More Precise Medical Diagnoses
Every material or molecule interacts with light in a unique way, creating a distinct pattern, much like a fingerprint. Optical spectroscopy, which involves shining a laser on a material and observing how... Read more
Disposable Microchip Technology Could Selectively Detect HIV in Whole Blood Samples
As of the end of 2023, approximately 40 million people globally were living with HIV, and around 630,000 individuals died from AIDS-related illnesses that same year. Despite a substantial decline in deaths... Read more
Pain-On-A-Chip Microfluidic Device Determines Types of Chronic Pain from Blood Samples
Chronic pain is a widespread condition that remains difficult to manage, and existing clinical methods for its treatment rely largely on self-reporting, which can be subjective and especially problematic... Read moreIndustry
view channel
Cepheid and Oxford Nanopore Technologies Partner on Advancing Automated Sequencing-Based Solutions
Cepheid (Sunnyvale, CA, USA), a leading molecular diagnostics company, and Oxford Nanopore Technologies (Oxford, UK), the company behind a new generation of sequencing-based molecular analysis technologies,... Read more
Grifols and Tecan’s IBL Collaborate on Advanced Biomarker Panels
Grifols (Barcelona, Spain), one of the world’s leading producers of plasma-derived medicines and innovative diagnostic solutions, is expanding its offer in clinical diagnostics through a strategic partnership... Read more