Reference: PD 04010-01
The Technology
The University of Tennessee have discovered a highly accurate method for diagnosing infectious diseases. This method improves accuracy (sensitivity) of diagnostic tests for Johne’s Disease from 30% to 95%. The method is also highly accurate when it comes to diagnosing another disease, bovine tuberculosis. Both of these diseases are caused by Mycobacterium species of bacteria, and, it is therefore likely that the method is applicable for diagnosis of other important mycobacterial diseases such as human tuberculosis and opportunistic infections of HIV patients caused by Mycobacterium avium. Furthermore, the researchers’ recent findings indicate that Lyme Disease (caused by Borrelia species of bacteria) can also be diagnosed by this method.
Benefits:
Higher accuracy of diagnosis than current similar methods
Applicable to diagnosis of different infectious diseases
The Inventors
Dr. Shigetoshi Eda is an Associate Professor in the department of Forestry Wildlife and Fisheries at The University of Tennessee. He received Ph.D. from Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science in Japan. After working as a postdoctoral researcher at The University of California Riverside, he joined UT in 2003.
Dr. Clarence A. Speer is a former B. Ray Thompson Distinguished Professor of Cellular and Molecular Immunology and is also in the Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries at UT. Dr. Speer is a founding Director of The University of Tennessee's Center for Wildlife Health Agricultural Experiment Station.
Researchers:
Ms. Cathy Scott, Research Associate, and Mr. Brad Elliot, former Graduate Student, also contributed to this invention.