ProtonDx London, United Kingdom
protondx.com

In this project, ProtonDx is evaluating whether blood can be used as a suitable sample type for diagnosing pediatric lower-respiratory tract infections (LRTIs). ProtonDx, in collaboration with Imperial College London, will evaluate RNA biomarkers of the body’s immune response to infection and translate them to gene-based assays that can be used to deliver rapid clinical decision making in emergency and remote care settings for the treatment of pediatric LRTIs.

The assays may be developed further as the foundation for blood-based pediatric LRTI testing on ProtonDx’s point-of-care molecular platform, called Lacewing, which combines high-purity nucleic acid extraction, real-time isothermal amplification (qLAMP), and lab-on-a-chip electrochemical sensors (eLAMP). ProtonDx has validated the technology for detection of infections with multiple pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, dengue virus, and Klebsiella spp.

Diagnosing LRTIs can be complicated due to the difficulty of acquiring lower respiratory specimens (e.g. sputum) for diagnostic testing. Typically, more invasive sample collection methods are needed to obtain samples from the airways, such as bronchoscopy or deep suctioning. The ability to differentiate active bacterial infections from colonisation or viral infections, and identify pathogens from a simpler and less invasive sample type could improve patient outcome and reduce the transmission of infections.

Current Development Stage: Seed

CARB-X Investment: US$1 million

Initial CARB-X Investment Date: December 4, 2025