Published July 14, 2021 by PATH
Effective and affordable new research diagnostic tool can measure up to 11 key biomarkers of environmental enteric dysfunction with a single test
Quansys Biosciences and global health nonprofit PATH have collaborated to develop a multiplex diagnostic tool to accelerate the development of interventions addressing environmental enteric dysfunction (EED).
An estimated 25 percent of the world’s children under 5 have stunted growth resulting from EED, a condition also associated with cognitive development deficits and reduced responsiveness to oral vaccines. Although the causes of stunting are multifactorial, recent findings implicate the central role of EED, a subclinical disorder caused by repeated exposure to enteric pathogens found in food, water, and sanitation systems. EED results in inflammation at mucosal sites, reduced integrity of the intestinal barrier, and poor nutrient absorption. Children living in unsanitary conditions are at risk for EED, which also increases susceptibility to other preventable infectious diseases such as pneumonia, acute diarrhea, and malaria.
The Q-Plex™ Human Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (11-Plex) is a robust and effective laboratory-based tool for screening individuals and populations at risk of developing or currently suffering from EED in clinical research. This multiplex test simultaneously measures up to 11 biomarkers in a single sample of human serum, generating a profile of an individual’s nutritional and inflammatory biomarkers, as well as growth hormones and intestinal damage. “Multiplexing enables researchers to obtain much more information from a single sample in less time and at a lower cost. The Q-Plex technology is reliable and easy to use, so samples can be analyzed near the communities in which they are collected,” said Adam Brown, Chief Executive Officer, Quansys Biosciences, Inc.
Collecting population data on EED prevalence allows health officials to implement and assess targeted interventions for children at risk and suffering from EED. These results can also help researchers accurately establish the magnitude of the deficiencies, identify subpopulations at greatest risk, and monitor the efficacy and progress of nutrition programs.
“It is important to equip the global public health community with tools like the new Q-Plex Human Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (11-Plex) to quickly and effectively screen those at risk or suffering from EED,” states Robert Choy, Director, Research and Development, PATH Center for Vaccine Innovation and Access, Enteric and Diarrheal Diseases. “This information allows researchers to evaluate interventions that are imperative for improving child health and development. We are already planning deployment of this tool to study the interaction of EED and other interventions including vaccines for rotavirus, Shigella, and Campylobacter and prophylactic antibiotics with key partners working in low- and middle-income countries such as the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia, the Center for Vaccine Development-Mali, and others.”
The Q-Plex Human Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (11-Plex) can be ordered directly from Quansys Biosciences.
This project is supported by a grant to PATH from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in the UK.
About Quansys Biosciences, Inc.
Quansys Biosciences is a leader in the development and manufacture of multiplexed assays for protein quantification. Quansys Biosciences Q-Plex™ Array Technology aids researchers in better understanding of disease. The Q-Plex Technology includes multiplex and singleplex assays built to maximize the quantity and quality of data from biological samples. To support its multiplex assays, Quansys also provides the Q-View™ Imaging system, consisting of Q-View™ Software, a user-friendly software package that enables the acquisition and analysis of large amounts of multiplex data, and the Q-View Imager, a high-resolution imaging device used to capture chemiluminescent assays.
Quansys Biosciences was founded in 2005.