ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT ASPECTS OF LIFE IN A COVID-19 world is the uncertainty. Not only are we facing an unseen opponent that we barely understand, but none of us know, should we contract the virus, whether well be part of the group that barely registers any symptoms or if well rapidly end up in a drug-induced haze on a ventilator in the ICU. More troubling still, neither do the doctors treating us.
What if there were a way to find out? OncologistDr. Cassian Yee of MD Anderson thinks the key to unlocking this mystery may very well be pumping inside our veins.
For more than 25 years Yee has been studying the use of T-cells, a type of white blood cell called lymphocytes, in his cancer research. They are like soldiers that are trained by the bodys immune system, he says. They go to sites of disease, the battlefield, and coordinate an attack on the enemy, the virus or cancer cell. When their job is completed, they return to the barracks and keep vigilant for any further attacks.
After reading reports that noted lower levels of T-cells in patientswith severe cases ofCovid-19, specificallythose who experiencedrespiratory failure, theoncologist realized thatdeveloping a test to quicklydetermine a patients T-cellcount could go a long waytoward helping medical personnel predict which patients are more prone to experiencing the viruss most deadly symptoms, long before doctors have to get machines to start breathing for them.
Technically this kind of lab test already exists, says Yee; its just not fast or easily available (were talking expensive and bulky equipment and results that take about half a day to process), especially when time is of the essence and equipment is in short supply. So Yee teamed up withKevin McHugh andPeter Lillehoj of Rice University to create a point-of-care device that would allow medical personnel to conduct these tests quickly and cheaply, key factors that could make this item crucial for both Texas Medical Center hospitals and underserved clinics on the front lines of the outbreak.
Using a small amount of blood, the teams point-of-care device will separate the different kinds of blood cells in the sample, count the lymphocytes, and spit out a quantifiable numberideally in about 15 minutes or less. Doctors will then use this number to determine whether a Covid-19 patient is more likely to suffer poor oxygenation. If doctors know beforehand that certain patients have low T-cell numbers and are thus more prone to experiencing the symptoms, including lung deterioration, that have been shown to be fatal in some, they could start more aggressively treating those patients long before they have to be put on ventilators. Its a bit like, Can this patient go home and safely recuperate, or should they stay in the hospital because they might need the ICU? explains McHugh, who specializes in bioengineering.
There are other potential uses for this device as well. While Yee and his team dont expect their point-of-care prototype device to be ready until January 2021 at the earliest, that hasnt stopped them from considering the technologys uses beyond the current coronavirus pandemic.
Wed love to be able to eventually move this into other viral diseases, such as HIV, Yee says. Perhaps even when patients are undergoing some type of treatment for their cancer.
See the rest here:
Could This Device Help Save Covid-19 Patients Before the ICU? - Houstonia Magazine
- Healthy Men: What women need to know about men's health - Greater Milwaukee Today - November 20th, 2020
- 24 Ways to Increase Penis Sensitivity: Tips, Techniques, and More - Healthline - October 18th, 2020
- Centrapeak Testosterone Booster Review: Is it Better than Others on the Market? - generationiron.com - October 18th, 2020
- Erectile Dysfunction: A Look at the Most Common Causes - Feed Leader - October 10th, 2020
- Aytu BioScience Announces Fiscal Q4 2020 Net Revenue of $14.9 Million, an Increase of 82% Sequentially, and 766% Year-Over-Year - BioSpace - October 6th, 2020
- Aytu BioScience to Report Fourth Quarter and Full Year Fiscal 2020 Results and Provide Business Update on Tuesday, October 6, 2020 - Yahoo Finance - October 6th, 2020
- Whats Causing My Low Testosterone? - September 29th, 2020
- Indianapolis Low T Center & Men's Clinic | Sleep Apnea ... - September 29th, 2020
- Aytu BioScience Announces Manufacture and Delivery of Healight(TM) Devices for Use in COVID-19 Clinical Study - Yahoo Finance - August 17th, 2020
- How can you actively boost your low libido? - Big Think - August 11th, 2020
- Aytu BioScience Announces Regulatory Approval of ZolpiMist(R) by Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration - BioSpace - July 30th, 2020
- New Osteoporosis Recommendations From AACE Help Therapy Selection - Medscape - July 25th, 2020
- Hormone therapy no cure-all for 'low T' in ageing men - Health24 - July 20th, 2020
- Strain engineering of the magnetic multipole moments and anomalous Hall effect in pyrochlore iridate thin films - Science Advances - July 20th, 2020
- Does Low Testosterone Cause Night Sweats? - July 7th, 2020
- Treating low testosterone levels - Harvard Health - July 7th, 2020
- Some people who experienced no coronavirus symptoms may now be immune to Covid-19 - here's what the study says - Derry Journal - July 4th, 2020
- AGING: Hormone therapy no cure-all for low T in men - Palm Beach Post - July 2nd, 2020
- COVID 19 Effect on Low T Therapy Market: an Increase in Technology Development Will Heighten Growth of Key Players: AbbVie, Endo International, Eli... - June 23rd, 2020
- Freddy McConnell Gave Birth to His Son. Then His Life Changed. - Esquire - June 18th, 2020
- Low T Therapy Market: What Will Happen to Key Players After COVID 19 Ends: AbbVie, Endo International, Eli Lilly - Cole of Duty - June 9th, 2020
- Ego might drive men to testosterone therapy, but it helps with certain conditions - The Columbus Dispatch - June 8th, 2020
- What Are T-Cells and Can They Protect You from COVID-19? - Labmate Online - June 8th, 2020
- Aytu BioScience to Report Fiscal Q3 FY 2020 Results and Business Update - Yahoo Finance - May 7th, 2020
- COVID-19: T cells offer clues to the potential power of Roche's Actemra - FierceBiotech - May 6th, 2020
- Peek on Low T Therapy Market Future, Extensive Studies and Prediction of Top Manufacturers Condition: AbbVie, Endo International, Eli Lilly - 3rd... - May 6th, 2020
- New clues on how to treat COVID-19 from T cell counts - The Nation - May 3rd, 2020
- Aytu BioScience Signs Development Agreement with Sterling Medical Devices to Advance the Development of Healight as a Potential Coronavirus Treatment... - April 29th, 2020
- Low T Center Is Committed To Meeting The Needs Of Colorado Patients During The COVID-19 Emergency - P&T Community - April 20th, 2020
- Aytu BioScience Announces Positive Results from an Independently Conducted Clinical Study of the Company's Licensed COVID-19 IgG/IgM Point-of-Care... - April 17th, 2020
- The testosterone myth - The Week Magazine - April 12th, 2020
- Low T Therapy Market Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends And Forecast 2020 2024 - Monroe Scoop - March 26th, 2020
- Aytu BioScience Submits Notice of Commercialization to the FDA, Allowing for Company's Distribution of its 2-10 Minute COVID-19 IgG/IgM Point-of-Care... - March 23rd, 2020
- No, not everything about mens sexual behaviour can be explained by testosterone - Scroll.in - March 23rd, 2020
- Letters to the editor - Boston Herald - March 9th, 2020
- Low Testosterone - Symptoms & Treatment | Everyday Health - March 6th, 2020
- Lost revenue from low T fares must be recouped - Boston Herald - March 1st, 2020
- Indiana Regenerative Medicine Institute Offers Innovative Approaches in Regenerative Medicine, Hormone Replacement and Pain Management - Carmel... - March 1st, 2020
- Low Testosterone Causes | Everyday Health - February 24th, 2020
- Diagnosis, treatment and how to avoid osteoporosis - The Gazette - January 30th, 2020
- The Signs a Testosterone Booster is Needed - Science Times - January 22nd, 2020
- New Guideline for Testosterone Treatment in Men With 'Low T' - Medscape - January 9th, 2020
- John R. Hampton III, MD, is recognized by Continental Who's Who - PRNewswire - November 27th, 2019
- Expert Insights on Osteoporosis From the ACR/ARP 2019 Annual Meeting - Rheumatology Advisor - November 27th, 2019
- Low T Specialist - Dallas, TX & Frisco, TX: Men's T-Clinic ... - October 5th, 2019
- Does Insurance Cover Low T Treatment - Mantality Health - October 5th, 2019
- Low Testosterone Therapy (TRT) and Treatment from Low T Center - September 27th, 2019
- Low T Center, 549 East County Line Road, Building 4 Suite D ... - March 31st, 2019
- Low T Symptoms | Low Testosterone | Signs of Low T - March 12th, 2019
- Low T Treatment in Texas & Illinois | SynergenX Health ... - February 18th, 2019
- The Lowdown on Low-T - Discover Health - Rush University ... - February 18th, 2019
- The Low T Scam? - Testosterone Centers of Texas - Low T ... - February 18th, 2019
- Low T 99 - Testosterone Therapy: Bellevue, Seattle, Tacoma ... - December 31st, 2018
- Men, Low T, and the Facts | Lifespan - October 1st, 2018
- Denver Low T Medical Clinic and Testosterone Therapy Center - August 6th, 2018
- You've Heard About "Low T" But What About "Low E"? - April 23rd, 2018
- Low T 99 - 10 Photos - Health & Medical - 1239 120th Ave NE ... - April 23rd, 2018
- Low Testosterone Treatment - Carolina Men's Clinic - April 23rd, 2018
- Low T-Helper (CD4) Cell Level - Symptoms and Diagnosis - March 2nd, 2018
- ED Clinic Nashville TN, Erectile Dysfunction Treatment, Low T - February 10th, 2018
- Low-Testosterone (Low-T) - Controversy Over ... - AARP - January 11th, 2018
- Low testosterone symptoms | Effects of low testosterone - January 11th, 2018
- About Low Testosterone | Low T Center - December 29th, 2017
- Low Testosterone Replacement Therapy | Low T ... - Men's T Clinic - November 12th, 2017
- low t | eBay - November 12th, 2017
- Low Testosterone (Low T) Treatments - onhealth.com - November 2nd, 2017
- Low-T (Low Testosterone) Quiz: Symptoms, Signs & Treatment - October 22nd, 2017
- Erectile Dysfunction/Low T Men's Health Georgia - September 4th, 2017
- 10 easy ways to transform old band T-shirts into something new - Alternative Press - August 30th, 2017
- AbbVie Hit With $150 Million Loss in Low-T Cardiac Trial - Lexology (registration) - August 19th, 2017
- Low T Center returning to sponsor Sorenson - ESPN - August 18th, 2017
- Older men with 'low T' can improve their sex lives with testosterone therapy, study says - Men's Fitness - August 18th, 2017
- Center for Men | Tulsa Men's Clinic | Tulsa Low T - August 17th, 2017
- `Make Men Great Again' Speakers Bash Trans People While Pumping Up America's Girly Men - Southern Poverty Law Center - August 10th, 2017
- Doctors Address Low Testosterone Ads - CBS St. Louis - August 9th, 2017
- Low T - Testosterone Replacement Therapy - Ehormones - August 2nd, 2017
- What does a low T cell count mean? DoctorNDTV Queries - August 2nd, 2017
- Column: Testosterone treatment reserved for men with symptoms ... - The Daily Courier - July 5th, 2017
- Testosterone treatment reserved for men with symptoms - Sarasota Herald-Tribune - July 5th, 2017
- Low T Trial: Testosterone Gel Increases Plaque in Arteries - DrugWatch.com - June 2nd, 2017