Researchers at TGen have identified several RNA signatures that can be utilized to predict standard blood tests based on hematology or chemistry, for example, the results from a complete blood count panel, a comprehensive metabolic panel, a chemistry panel, or an endocrine panel (such as levels of thyroxine, T3, and TSH). The expression of these RNA markers from a reduced volume blood sample provide predicted blood test results with high accuracy (at least 80%) when compared to the actual blood test result using a standard volume sample.
Blood tests offer a variety of information for the diagnosis of disease or conditions, or the maintenance of a patient’s health, including the assessment of overall health and the detection of silent warning signals that precede the development of serious diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. However, traditional technology for conducting blood tests requires more than a few drops of blood and sample collection by a technician at a laboratory, hospital, clinic, or testing site.
Instead of collecting multiple tubes of blood for conducting a variety of tests, this TGen technology enables a simple blood sample collection, for example 1 cc or less of whole blood, plasma, or a dried blood spot, to produce a determination that correlates to the results of a standard blood test. For example, to assess lymphocyte levels in the blood TGen researchers identified three RNA molecules that can be assayed instead of directly counting lymphocytes. Using this TGen technology, the sample collection and assessment can potentially be conducted without requiring a patient to visit a laboratory, hospital, clinic, or testing site.