It promises accurate and timely results.
Researchers have developed a new Lyme disease test that promises results in just 20 minutes, a significant improvement over the current two-part lab tests which can take up to two weeks to return results.
This new test, similar in concept to AI-assisted at-home COVID-19 tests, aims to enhance the speed and efficiency of Lyme disease diagnosis. According to Dino Di Carlo, a professor of engineering and medicine at UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, earlier detection is crucial. “Many people only discover they have Lyme disease too late for effective early treatment,” Di Carlo explained. “A rapid, cost-effective test could make routine screening more feasible and alleviate some of the burdens on the healthcare system.”
Lyme disease, transmitted by deer ticks, is expected to affect over 600,000 people in the U.S. this year. Symptoms include fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and swollen lymph nodes. Long-term effects, such as arthritis, heart issues, nerve pain, and inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, can appear months after a tick bite. Early treatment with antibiotics can prevent chronic symptoms in up to 90% of newly infected individuals.
Current testing methods, which the CDC recommends, often fail to detect early-stage Lyme disease and can take one to two weeks for results. The new test involves applying a blood serum sample to sponge-like paper embedded with synthetic peptides that detect Lyme disease antibodies. An AI-powered smartphone app then reads the resulting pattern on the paper to provide rapid results, as detailed in a recent Nature Communications article.
Aydogan Ozcan, a UCLA engineering innovation professor, noted the importance of AI in interpreting complex immune signals. The new test has shown a 95% accuracy rate in detecting Lyme disease and a 100% accuracy rate in ruling out negative samples. Di Carlo emphasized that the test aims to be highly specific to Lyme disease, reducing the chance of false diagnoses. While the test is promising, it may take a few years before it becomes available in clinics. Researchers are currently working to scale the technology and adapt it for use with whole blood samples.
Discussion about this post