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New early disease diagnosis method created

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., July 17 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists have developed a technique that provides a new way of detecting genetic disorders found in infants and young children.

Researchers from Purdue and Indiana universities used a simple chemical reaction to improve the ability to detect important molecules in complex fluids such as blood and urine.

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Purdue Professor Daniel Raftery said the technique makes the markers for some genetically caused metabolic disorders up to 100 times more visible.

"This technique allows us to profile a class of biomarkers ... that would otherwise be very difficult to detect," he said. "The increased sensitivity could allow doctors to diagnose a range of diseases at very early stages."

He said the technique also could catch borderline cases that might have otherwise gone undiagnosed until serious symptoms arose.

Indiana University Associate Professor Bryan Hainline said the combination of Purdue's research strength in chemistry and the Indiana University School of Medicine team's knowledge of pediatric metabolic disorders allowed researchers to quickly advance the technology.

Raftery, Hainline, Narasimhamurthy Shanaiah, M. Aruni Desilva, G.A. Nagana Gowda and Michael Raftery present the study in the July 10 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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