Candida Rapidly Detected by Magnetic Biosensor Test

A magnetic biosensor test detects the fungal pathogen Candida directly in whole blood from patients with the fungal infection.

The new technology enables detection of multiple pathogens and species in a single-process test with rapid diagnostic results within minutes to less than two hours.

Developed by T2 Biosystems (Lexington, MA, USA), magnetic biosensor technology combines nanotechnology with the power of magnetic resonance detection. A "dirty sample" of a patient's blood, saliva, urine, or other biofluid is loaded directly into a desktop instrument via a disposable cartridge. The sample is then mixed with magnetic nanoparticles and analyzed for the presence of specific fungal, bacterial, or viral pathogens, or biomarkers using a technique similar to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The system is able to detect low concentrations of target agents or specific pathogens.

In comparison, today's conventional diagnostic technologies use optical signals, require preprocessed biologic samples, and can take days to yield useful results.

Candidemia, a systemic fungal infection that occurs when Candida organisms are present in the blood, is a potentially life-threatening bloodstream infection. Each year, an estimated 60,000 patients contract Candidemia in the United States alone and this incidence continues to rise. It is the most deadly of the common hospital-acquired bloodstream infections, and currently results in significant increased hospital stays, healthcare costs, and patient mortality.

T2 Biosystems, Inc., a company developing next generation diagnostic products, presented data on the rapid and sensitive detection of five Candida species (C. albicans, C. krusei, C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, and C. parapsilosis) at the Annual Meeting of the Mycoses Study Group in Philadelphia (PA, USA) on April 7, 2011.

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