CardiovascularVictorian HIV Test To Help Monitor Sufferers
People living with HIV will benefit from a new test developed by Victoria, Australia scientists that offers a simpler and cheaper way of monitoring the disease in sufferers, Victorian Innovation Minister Gavin Jennings said today.
The test, developed by researchers at the Melbourne-based Macfarlane Burnet Institute, provides a simple way for clinicians to monitor the key CD4 T-cells in people with HIV.
These cells are used as an accurate marker of the disease"s progression because HIV targets these cells, reducing their levels and weakening the immune system which can result in the onset of AIDS.
"The Victorian Government is taking action to promote health and lifestyle benefits through biotech initiatives, such as this new HIV test, which will also create jobs for Victorians," Mr. Jennings said.
"This test is good news for the 40 million people worldwide diagnosed with HIV - a virus that continues to grow by three million new cases each year. The current monitoring approach using flow cytometry is expensive, complex and only available in major laboratories.
The ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) test addresses an unmet need for a lower-cost, simpler and higher throughput technology suitable for routine use in pathology laboratories."
The researchers behind the ELISA-based test, led by Associate Professor David Anderson and Professor Suzanne Crowe, have formed a spinout company, SeeD4, and have received funding of $377,000 from the Medical Research Commercialisation Fund (MRCF), a $30 million fund supported by the Victorian Government, for ongoing development.
Mr. Jennings announced the innovation at the international BIO2009 conference in Atlanta, USA, ahead of a keynote address on HIV/AIDS initiatives by Sir Elton John.
"The management of HIV and the use of antiviral therapies require the regular monitoring of circulating CD4 T-cells in patients, that"s why this test is so important," Mr. Jennings said.
"The measurement of CD4 T-cell levels is initially used to determine when patients should commence treatment. Once on treatment, CD4 T-cells are regularly monitored to ensure that the viral load is effectively managed and that the virus has not become resistant to therapy."
The MRCF investment will enable completion of the testing and clinical evaluation, including a head-to-head comparison with the flow cytometry method.
The technology was developed to an initial validation stage with funding provided by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the National Health and Medical Research Council.
Victoria