New rapid blood test for early diagnosis of cryptococcosis

Research conducted at University of Nevada, Reno and licensed through the University's Technology Transfer Office is featured in the technology transfer publication "Better World Report" for a remarkable second year in a row.

The article details a research advancement that has been licensed through IMMY, a diagnostics company, for a new diagnostic test that will help save the lives of hundreds of thousands of AIDS patients stricken with cryptococcosis, a fungal meningitis.

The new, rapid blood test known as the CrAg Lateral Flow Assay leads to early diagnosis of cryptococcosis, a leading cause of AIDS-related deaths in developing countries, by detecting the cryptoccocal antigen. The antibody used for the test was developed by Tom Kozel, professor of microbiology of the University of Nevada School of Medicine, at the Reno campus with grants from the National Institutes of Health.

"It's fantastic to be featured in the publication again," Ryan Heck, director of the University's Technology Transfer Office, said. "The collaboration with IMMY is more about saving lives than making money. They agreed right away to make the product low-cost so it would be easily available in developing countries to make the most impact on saving lives.

"Tech transfer is about moving innovations from the University into the marketplace to help generate economic development, though sometimes it's less about economic impact and more about societal impact."

The new diagnostic product has been available in South Africa, Kenya and Uganda, and recent FDA approval makes it available globally. The point-of-care product is a simple field-usable dipstick test requiring no sophisticated equipment and enables treatment to begin immediately in the field, an important consideration when early treatment is crucial for successfully treating cryptococcosis.

Source: University of Nevada, Reno