Registration

A Microfluidics-enabled Point-of-care Diagnostic System for Coeliac Disease Monitoring
Holger Becker, Chief Scientific Officer, Microfluidic ChipShop GmbH, Germany

In this paper we demonstrate the development of an integrated lab-on-a-chip system for the point-of-care diagnostics of Coeliac disease which is capable of simultaneous genomic and proteomic detection for early diagnosis as well as disease monitoring.

Coffee Break and Networking in Exhibition Hall

Simple On-chip Sample Preparation for Low-cost Point-of-care Diagnostics
Markus Beck, Assistant Fellow, University of Twente, Netherlands

On-chip sample-preparation by controlled release of antibodies from gelatine in combination with large-area fluorescence imaging enables the counting of CD4+ T-cells without the need for pre-processing, active mixing or precision pipetting.

Lunch and Networking in Exhibition Hall

Poster Viewing Session

Point-of-care Diagnostics and the Challenges of Sepsis
Penny Wilson, Lead Specialist, Technology Strategy Board, United Kingdom

The documented incidence of sepsis worldwide is 1.8 million cases per year but low diagnostic rates and difficulties in tracking it in some countries mean this is likely to be a significant underestimate. The true number is likely to exceed18 million cases. The mortality rate from severe sepsis is 28-50%. In the UK patients with severe sepsis use 46% of all intensive care unit bed days and the risk of death increases by 6-10% every hour from onset of septic shock to the start of effective treatment. The UK’s Technology Strategy Board is supporting a portfolio of projects to develop diagnostic tools that will be of value in the management of sepsis and allow therapeutic intervention at an earlier point in the patient care pathway, ideally before the onset of sepsis. Multi- pathogen detection in hospitals and simple discrimination between pathogens in primary care are some of the capabilities that will be presented and discussed.

POC Nucleic Acid Tests for Infectious Diseases
John Clarkson, CEO, Atlas Genetics Limited, United Kingdom

This talk will overview the technical developments that are making molecular Point-Of-Care testing a reality, and also describe the Atlas Genetics Velox™ system, a unique POC diagnostic platform for ultra-rapid, inexpensive and accurate diagnosis of infectious diseases.

Coffee Break and Networking in Exhibition Hall

Biomarkers to Predict the Response to Rituximab
Saskia Vosslamber, Researcher, VU University Medical Center, Netherlands

The presentation highlights the outcome of biomarker discovery research aimed to predict the response to B-cell depletion therapy in chronic inflammatory diseases. The results add new information to our understanding of the mechanism of action, and demonstrate clinical useful biomarkers for response prediction, taking the paradigm of personalized medicine one step further.

Immunoassays in Multiplex for Personalized Medicine
Jens Goepfert, Head, University of Tuebingen, Germany

Miniaturized multiplexed immunoassays allow the analysis of several dozen of parameters in a single experiment. Within the last decade protein array technologies achieved robust analytical performance and enable to screen for a multitude of parameters requiring only minimal amounts of sample material (1-5). General efforts performed during the last decade within the broad field of biomarker assays will be discussed. A critical analysis of technologies, applications and failures will be discussed together with promising approaches in biomarker discovery and validation like the FDA’s critical path initiative and the Europe-based public–private Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) (6,7).

Stem Cell-Based Systems Diagnostics and Systems Therapeutics
Greg Maguire, Chief Executive Officer, BioRegenerative Sciences, United States of America

Systems biology approaches using stem cell-based technologies are being used to develop diagnostics and therapeutics. Considering one of mother nature's key approaches to healing the body, using a large combination of stem cell released molecules (SRM) derived from multiple adult stem cell types to activate or inactivate many synergistic pathways, BRS has focused our attention to develop diagnostics and therapeutics based on SRM technology.

Drinks Reception

CANCELLED - MDx-based Personalized Treatment: A Reality for HIV
Ole Lagatie, Associate Director Diagnostic Laboratory Operations, Janssen Diagnostics, Belgium

In this presentation the development of an HIV drug resistance prediction system is described that can worldwide be used to offer patients personalized HIV treatment.

Coffee Break and Networking in Exhibition Hall

Point-of-care Nucleic Acid Testing for Tuberculosis in Low Resource Settings
Angelika Niemz, Professor, Keck Graduate Institute, United States of America

We are developing a simple to use and inexpensive devices for rapid TB diagnosis that combines nucleic acid sample preparation, isothermal amplification, and lateral flow detection in an integrated sample in to answer out format.

Lunch and Networking in Exhibition Hall

Poster Viewing Session

Very Highly Informative Single-tube Assays for M(X)DR-TB and Non-tuberculosis Mycobacteria
Lawrence Wangh, Professor, Brandeis University, United States of America

Point of care diagnostics need to generate maximum information in a close tube. We have constructed and are validating highly informative, rapid, single-tube assays for M(X)DR tuberculosis and Non-Tuberculosis Mycobacteria using novel technologies: LATE-PCR, PrimeSafe™, and Thermalight™ probes.

Novel Solution Enables Automated Diagnostics at Point-of-Care without Loss of Accuracy
Aron Cohen, CEO, Azure PCR, United Kingdom

Potential advantages and existing limitations of using the qPCR technique in point-of-care diagnostics. Results of validation studies carried out with the UK National Health Service. The AzurePCR™ Solution (patents pending) and its potential benefits for point-of-care diagnostics, including miniaturisation.

Coffee Break and Networking in Exhibition Hall

The Integration of Companion Diagnostics and Stratified Medicines into Healthcare Systems
Duncan Purvis, Head of Technologies , Integrated Medicines, United Kingdom

Considering stakeholder interests: the need for transparency in value-adding activities • Industry Stakeholders: Relationships and case studies • Overcoming regulatory and economic hurdles: working with regulator and payor stakeholders • Patients as stakeholders: the role of education and integrated healthcare • Making it happen: feeding stakeholder interests to strengthen a holistic future strategy.

Defining and Developing POC Diagnostics for HIV/TB
Graham Cooke, Clinical Senior Lecturer, Imperial College London, United Kingdom

The combined epidemics of HIV and TB continue to be a major challenge to health services worldwide. The limitations of current diagnostics are a major obstacle to universal access to high quality treatment which is most needed in regions with poor infrastructure. We will consider a novel model that has lead to the development of a new point of care CD4 test now under evaluation. The implications of this approach will be discussed for TB and other HIV related diagnostics, particularly focused on defining and meeting the needs in resource poor settings.

Bead Based High Density Arrays made of Polymer - Designed and Developed for Large Scale Manufacturing
Harald Kraushaar, Vice President & Head of Business Development, Sony DADC , Austria

High density arrays of micro-wells for beads allow highly sensitive single molecule detection to be developed for research and clinical applications. We report on the important connection between the several, often competing, functional and physical requirements introduced by such emerging devices as well as technologies which enable such requirements to be fulfilled for large scale manufacturing in polymer.

Close of Conference