Guildford scientists develop test for rare disease | News

Scientists in Guildford have helped developer a quicker, simpler test for a rare disease.

The team from Royal Surrey’s Supra-Regional Assay Service (SAS) Trace Elements Laboratory have helped create a faster and more accurate way to test for Wilson disease - a rare condition that affects around 1 in 30,000 people world-wide.

The new test will also help doctors monitor the disease more effectively over time.

Wilson disease is a rare inherited disorder that causes copper to build up in the body, especially in the liver and brain. If left untreated, it can lead to serious health problems, including liver failure.

Until now, diagnosing the condition has involved several time-consuming and often unreliable tests. But the new test, developed by Dr Chris Harrington and his team, only requires a single blood sample and takes around 30 minutes to process in a specialist laboratory.

It works by separating proteins in the blood and measuring the copper levels bound to each protein using advanced equipment.

Royal Surrey is a centre of excellence for Wilson disease and the team has worked in partnership with clinical experts at Yale Medical School in the US and Aarhus Hospital in Denmark to bring the test to life.

Dr Harrington said: “We’re proud to have played a role in developing a test that speeds up the diagnosis of Wilson disease.

 “What used to take several tests and days of waiting can now be done with a single blood sample, which means patients can start the treatment they need sooner.

“It also enables the monitoring of the disease that we hope will make a real difference to patients and clinicians.

Thanks to the success of their work the team have recently received a significant grant to further build on their research capabilities.

The SAS Trace Elements Laboratory is part of the Berkshire and Surrey Pathology Service, which is a joint venture between five NHS trusts.