Scientists have created an AI tool that can detect multiple diseases from a single blood sample. This tool scans immune-cell gene sequences to find signs of infections and health conditions.
In a study with nearly 600 people, the AI correctly identified whether someone was healthy or had COVID-19, type 1 diabetes, HIV, lupus, or had recently received a flu vaccine. “This method captures everything your immune system has been exposed to,” says Sarah Teichmann, a biologist at the University of Cambridge.
The tool is not yet ready for hospitals, but with improvements, it could help doctors diagnose diseases that don’t have clear tests today, says study co-author Maxim Zaslavsky from Stanford University.
Our immune system keeps a record of past and current illnesses. B cells and T cells play a key role by producing antibodies and attacking infected cells. When the body faces an infection or an autoimmune disease, these cells increase in number and change. By analyzing their genes, researchers can understand a person’s health history.
“The immune system is like a natural diagnostic tool. If we learn how it works, we can use it to detect diseases,” says Victor Greiff, an immunologist at the University of Oslo.
Unlike current tests, which focus on either B or T cells, this AI tool looks at both. This gives doctors a more complete picture of a patient’s immune activity and possible health conditions.
Source: nature
