Use space equipment to detect TB

Quang Thinh

An analytical device used in Mars exploration, now discovered by researchers, can be used to diagnose tuberculosis quite effectively.

According to research by British scientists, a device built to perform missions on Mars is capable of detecting tuberculosis bacteria. This device can help improve the diagnosis efficiency, especially in developing countries.

Open University and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Diseases are testing gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (gas chromatograph mass spectrometer - GC-MS) in TB testing.

This is one of the equipment for the probe project Beagle 2 - a project that has frustrated space researchers, since Beagle 2 is considered to have been destroyed while landing on Mars. This is almost 4 years. However, in this study, the scientists found GC-MS to be effective in TB testing. Specifically, this small but sophisticated device has the ability to discover specific chemical markers of the disease.

Simulation image Beagle 2 on Mars.Although the project failed, the GC-MS device for this project proved effective in detecting tuberculosis.(Photo: Technochitlins)

Enhance diagnostic effectiveness

Experts hope that this device will help improve the diagnosis efficiency of TB in developing countries.

According to the research team, samples are now expelled by patients suspected of having tuberculosis undergoing microscopic examination, but the method is not reliable and the number of misdiagnosis cases is up to 50%.

Dr Liz Corbett, of London's School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: 'We need to have a more accurate and less expensive method of diagnosing TB.'

'Currently, due to inaccurate diagnosis, the number of people with tuberculosis can go through 10 tests before they are properly diagnosed for treatment. These people may have spread the disease during that long diagnostic period. '

'Current technology, only 50% of TB patients can be diagnosed .' In the photo: A chest X-ray of a person with tuberculosis (Photo: Michigan.gov)

Dr. Geraint Morgan of the Open University said that GC-MS could be a much more accurate and faster testing tool than current test techniques. He said: 'The tuberculosis bacterium has a special coating and GC-MS detects the chemical structure in that shell.'

According to the technology transfer plan to develop TB testing techniques, on October 4, the charity research organization Wellcome Trust (UK) sponsored 1.34 million pounds (about 2.7 million USD). ) for this research project.

Distinguish 2 types of TB

Dr. Ted Bianco, Director of Technology Transfer of the Wellcome Trust organization, said the device is also capable of distinguishing between people with ' latent TB ' - that is, in the body containing TB bacteria but not symptoms or not spread to others, people with ' active TB ' - that is, the ability to infect others or die from illness.

Professor Peter Davies, Secretary of TB Alert, a charity to raise global awareness about tuberculosis, and is a member of the Stop TB international campaign (Preventing TB infection), is very welcome. this project.

He said: 'With current technologies, we only diagnose about 50% of patients correctly, so we must work hard to find new ways to improve the situation. This new technique has the ability to help improve the diagnosis rate properly, so it is really worthy of respect and encouragement. '

Meanwhile, Dr. Bianco emphasized: 'If you are able to create extraordinary tools to search for life somewhere in the distant solar system, then you must overcome the difficulties of discovery. TB bacteria in the lungs of humans on Earth '.