A new machine has made it possible for a simple blood test can check for cardiovascular disease.
VICTORIA — A new, high-tech machine — the first in Canada — is signalling the start of University of Victoria research into how a simple blood test can check for cardiovascular disease.
The $500,000 Agilent ion funnel 6490 mass spectrometer will be used to check simultaneously for up to 150 different proteins that research has identified as potential markers of the onset of cardiovascular disease, the No. 1 killer in Canada.
Christoph Borchers, director of the UVic-Genome B.C. Proteomics Centre, said he plans to use the machine to develop a comprehensive protein profile — that is, the presence and quantity of various blood proteins in given blood samples — to reflect the presence of cardiovascular disease.
Borchers said in the past, the limits of the old mass spectrometry technology meant one test had to be performed for each protein. Even then, all the tests could offer was yes or no for the mere presence of the protein.
Along with allowing researchers to test for 150 different proteins at once, the new machine can test for protein concentrations. And it can do this with an analysis requiring only about 30 minutes.
“In the past, it would have taken us years to do it and cost thousands of dollars, hundreds of thousands of dollars, millions of dollars,” Borchers said.
Genome B.C. was founded in 2000 and is funded primarily by the federal and provincial governments. It operates as a catalyst for genome-driven life science research performed collaboratively by government, industry and universities.
Since it began, Genome B.C. has been involved in research worth more than $450 million. Project areas include aquaculture, wild fisheries, forestry, agriculture and human health.
Borchers’ research will be conducted in co-operation with researchers at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver in the PROOF (Prevention of Organ Failure) Centre.
Dr. Bruce McManus, director of PROOF, said in the past doctors relied upon testing for single proteins, like cholesterol, when examining for cardiovascular conditions like hardening of the arteries, heart-muscle failure or even chronic obstructive pulmonary disease from smoking.
But the human body and its various components work in much the same way as people do in social networks. They influence each other, interact with each other and stimulate each other.
If you want to find out what is happening in a social network, it’s best to look at a number of individuals.
Likewise, if you are examining a person’s medical conditions, as indicated by their blood chemistry, it’s best to examine a variety of different components instead of just one.
“If we can sample multiple proteins that reflect related or interacting pathways and networks in one sample, we can quickly get a better picture of whether they are really healthy or whether they are at risk for disease or have disease,” McManus said.
This analysis is complex and requires collaboration among people who understand mass spectrometry, biology, clinical conditions and how to analyze big chunks of complex data.
But with the arrival of the new Agilent technology, these tests can be performed on small, droplet-sized blood samples.
Borcher’s research into protein profiles is offering a way to make complex clinical examination easier for everyone.
“The idea is to simplify the detection of risk, make it non-invasive, so the patient is more comfortable,” McManus said.
source: vancouversun
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