Development of novel diagnostic tests for stroke

During a stroke, the brain’s supply of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the universal cellular energy source, is disrupted, causing a rapid loss of neurons and often leading to disability or death. There is presently a lack of point-of-care diagnostics for stroke, meaning that wait times to treatment are often extended, worsening outcomes for patients. Therefore, identifying a blood biomarker that provides information about a given stroke to aid in diagnosis would be beneficial.

The levels of adenosine (a purine-related breakdown product of ATP) and its metabolites (collectively the “purines”) rise during acute stroke, though the dynamics are not yet understood in sufficient detail for this information to be applied in stroke diagnosis. The Medical and Life Sciences Research Fund have made an award to PhD student Harriet Allgrove-Ralph in Warwick Medical School who has partnered with Zimmer and Peacock, a developer and manufacturer of electrochemical biosensors and in vitro diagnostics, to characterise the time course of purine release during stroke. These sensors allow accurate, real-time readings to be made from brain tissue and blood samples.

In this project,  Harriet will compare purine dynamics between ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke, which are caused by blockage and rupture of a blood vessel in the brain, respectively. The latter is less common than the former, but is associated with higher rates of mortality and poorer outcomes.  Also, stroke severity will be correlate with purine levels. Establishing the release profile of adenosine and its metabolites during experimental stroke should allow this signal to be translated as a point-of-care diagnostic, providing information about a given stroke to first responders, thus informing treatment strategies and accelerating patients to the correct hospital setting, ultimately optimising the effectiveness of care and improving patient outcomes.