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Adaptive Biotechnologies Launches National Clinical Trial to Develop Novel T-Cell Based Diagnostic for Lyme Disease
Current tests are highly inaccurate, resulting in lengthy diagnostic journey SEATTLE, July 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Adaptive Biotechnologies Corp.
About this update from Adaptive Biotechnologies Corporation
[{"type":"text","content":"Current tests are highly inaccurate, resulting in lengthy diagnostic journey\nSEATTLE, July 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Adaptive Biotechnologies Corp. (Nasdaq: ADPT) announced today the launch of ImmuneSense Lyme™, a research study to inform the development of an improved test to detect Lyme disease in the early stages of an infection, when the disease is most treatable but often missed or misdiagnosed. The study calls for approximately 1,000 participants in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic and upper Midwest, where 96% of Lyme cases occur. Participants can be evaluated at a local study site in their area or soon via tele-health in the comfort and safety of their own homes. \n “Lyme disease can be impossible to treat, particularly if it is not diagnosed early, and the symptoms of late stage Lyme disease can be so severe that it causes people to lose their jobs and have trouble caring for their families,” said Linda Giampa, executive director, Bay Area Lyme Foundation. “We are always interested in research that uncovers new information that may help understand how our bodies mount an immune response to this horrible disease.” Lyme disease can be especially complex to diagnose in the absence of more accurate testing because 77 percent of patients experience symptoms that overlap with many autoimmune and neurological diseases, as well as other tick-borne diseases. Current serology tests, the standard in Lyme disease diagnosis, detect antibodies made by the body in response to an infection. These antibodies can take several weeks to develop, resulting in a high false negative rate of 60 – 70 percent in people who are tested early after a tick bite but have not yet developed antibodies. Additionally, current tests cannot tell the difference between an active infection and one that has resolved, so many people will test positive using serology for Lyme disease long after successful treatment. “The immune system of someone who recently contracted Lyme disease may be able to tell us important information that current tests cannot. Using artificial intelligence and machine learning, we are looking at how our bodies naturally detect and respond to Lyme disease, which is an entirely new approach to diagnosis,” said Lance Baldo, Chief Medical Officer of Adaptive Biotechnologies. “Our goal with this new study is to accelerate the development of a...