Project Lead(s): Darryl Adamko
Issue
It is estimated that 1 billion people worldwide suffer from a chronic respiratory disease with asthma being the most common respiratory condition.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) will be the third most frequent cause of death worldwide by 2030.
In addition to the costs, poorly controlled asthma and COPD are associated with impaired health-related quality of life and more rapid decline in lung function over time.
Currently, there is no single test that can accurately diagnose and help manage asthma and other inflammatory respiratory diseases non-invasively in a typical doctor’s office.
Solution
The ultimate goal of this research program was to develop a clinic-based urine test that could significantly improve the diagnosis and management of asthma and other similar respiratory diseases, such as COPD.
The project had three main objectives:
1. To study people with asthma and other diseases (such as COPD) and prove that a metabolomics diagnostic could work
2. To move the metabolomics diagnostic a platform that would be more suitable for a commercial laboratory
3. To show that this diagnostic could work in a low-income country.
Outcome
The project confirmed the ability to measure biomarkers of asthma using a metabolomics approach.
Work is now underway to develop methodology to quantify the metabolites.
Quantification is the last step needed before the accuracy of the diagnostic approach can be confirmed.
Work can then begin on analyzing saved urine samples.
The project has been scaled by others: the University of Saskatchewan ($50,000), a Cystic Fibrosis Foundation grant ($15,000), AllerGen ($35000) and a Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHFR) grant ($120,000).