cytokines IL-613 Apr 2020 12:24
AUSTRALIA’S NEW VIRUS DETECTING DEVICE
Meanwhile, Aussie scientists are developing a simple wearable patch able to detect which COVID-19 patients are most likely to develop a severe form of the disease and need a ventilator.
Australian National University researcher Professor Mark Kendall has developed a microwavable sensor which attaches to the patient’s skin and measures fluid in the skin containing markers of disease.
The device would be worn by the patients like a watch.Patients who become severely ill with COVID-19 suffer when their immune system goes into overdrive releasing inflammatory factors called cytokines, which clog their lungs with fluid.
One of these cytokines IL-6 is very low in healthy people and a German study has found higher levels of IL-6 can predict whether the patient is deteriorating and is likely to need a ventilator.
The device, being developed by the ANU and Brisbane based WearOptimo, will allow real time measurement of IL-6 levels in the patients.
“Real time testing of IL-6 in hospitalised COVID-19 positive patients is the game-changer we need to accurately identify those most likely to require precious ICU resources,” respiratory and intensive care physician Professor Keith McNeil said.
“That will enable more effective planning of the need for and use of those resources, and signal those requiring more intensive early intervention potentially avoiding more severe deterioration.”
It comes as Sarah Gilbert, professor of vaccinology at Oxford University, told The Times newspaper she was “80 per cent confident” the vaccine being developed by her team would work and could be available by September.Human trials of the vaccine are due to begin in the next two weeks.
And the drug which led to the births of thousands of deformed babies, Thalidomide, has emerged as a potential treatment for COVID-19.
Although it is no longer used to treat nausea caused by pregnancy thalidomide is still being used as an anti-inflammatory to treat some lung conditions, skin lesions and throat ulcers in HIV patients and cancer.
Researchers at Wenzhou Medical University are trialling the treatment in combination with several hormones in a randomised trial on 100 patients with COVID-19 with the study due to report at the end of May.
https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/coronavirus/scientists-new-covid19-detecting-technology-as-africans-in-china-face-racism/news-story/b1a45fddc51affe17205f596ff1c39cb
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