Identification of a biomarker panel of life-threatening infectious disease

Many individuals acquire infections each year, yet few progress to critical illness. The current inability to identify the proportion of individuals who will progress to life-threatening illness is a major impediment to effective management of infectious disease. Using malaria as a model, the aim of the project is to identify and validate a panel of biomarkers in blood that reliably detects individuals at risk of lifethreatening disease. Following validation, the biomarker panel will be incorporated into a pointofcare diagnostic device being designed by Ontario-based Fio Corporation to aid efficient treatment allocation by healthcare providers in developing and developed countries. As the body's response to infectious disease determines the severity, and this response appears to be shared between several infectious diseases, the accuracy of this biomarker panel will also be extended to other life-threatening infections. The commercial potential of a point-of-care device that can determine the risk of critical illness and effectively guide management and resource allocation is substantial.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Kevin Kain

Student:

Karlee Silver

Partner:

Fio

Discipline:

Medicine

Sector:

Medical devices

University:

University of Toronto