Dr. Christoph Herold: Our method is basically an assessment of the immune system. We are unable to test for the exact bacterium in the blood. However, we can determine that something is actually out there that prompts the immune system to fight. One major advantage is that we only need a very small amount of blood. It should be noted that this test should be done quite promptly. For example, for our research purposes, we only measured blood that was less than two hours old. We do this because we want to draw conclusions about cells that are still in a living state. Otherwise, information might get lost after several days of storage. Having said that, the test should primarily be used in case of severe infections where lab results normally need to be on hand as quickly as possible. This fact alone ensures that a blood test is done very promptly.
What are the potential medical applications?
Herold: Our technology is designed to determine both the severity and the type of infection we are dealing with – meaning whether this is a bacterial or even viral infection. Our hope is that this method will allow us to determine whether certain immune cells in the blood are in an activation status. Cells change their mechanical properties – stiffness or size –, which allows us to determine the patient's immune status. For example, we could see if he/she is close to sepsis where the immune system creates an overwhelming response to an infection. Another potential application includes the monitoring of treatment pertaining to leukemia cases for example.
Klaue: So far, we are still talking about a pure research device. However, our goal is to take the basic research and develop a medical device. We envision a blood test that enables an extended blood count – we also call it a test of mechanical properties of cells. One application could be a test to determine whether a specific antibiotic achieves the desired outcome and would allow the physician to adapt the treatment until the pathogen has been substantiated. Right now, this often takes up to three days, which means patients have to be treated with a broad-spectrum antibiotic in the interim. In other words, this method is not just intended for diagnostic but also for monitoring purposes.
What potential do you see for your technology?
Klaue: We are still years away from our vision becoming a reality and a point where our AcCellerator can be used on a daily basis at a hospital. It still requires lots of research, clinical trials, the fulfillment of medical device regulatory requirements and extensive negotiations with health insurance companies as it pertains to the reimbursements of costs. As a developer, our next step is to embed a sorting mechanism into our device. After the mechanical measurement, the idea is to separate soft and stiff cells. If one type of cell is better suited for blood cell transplantation, a sorting mechanism is obviously very helpful. Undoubtedly, there are many other feasible applications for users – perhaps far more than we could ever imagine today.