GATC Biotech announces collaboration agreement to develop comprehensive DNA-based sepsis diagnostic
GATC Biotech announced that it has entered into a collaboration agreement with the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany, and the National University of Pusan and biotech company Gene In Corporation, Ltd. GATC Biotech is the Coordinating Partner of the collaboration, which aims to develop a comprehensive DNA microarray-based diagnostic test able to detect both bacterial and fungal sepsis-triggering pathogens. The project is partially funded by the Federal Ministry of education, Science, Research and Technology in Germany.
Infectious diseases, after cardiovascular diseases, are the most frequent cause of deaths in the world (WHO, 1999). Approximately 18 million cases of sepsis occur world-wide per year. The mortality rate for sepsis is 28-50%, and the associated costs are estimated at EUR7.6 billion. Quick and precise diagnosis of sepsis is crucial to the success of a course of a therapy. Current diagnostic processes rely on time-consuming cultivation of pathogenic microbes. The DNA microarray-based diagnostic under development will enable the immediate detection of organism-specific nucleic acid sequences, offering the advantage of reducing the time between sample collection and diagnosis, leading to a reduction in mortality rates.
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