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Steve and Carolyn Slupsky, the
brother-and-sister founders of Metabolistics, report that their Edmonton-based
company has received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and
Canada’s National Research Council to develop a test that detects HIV from a
urine sample. Metabolistics already uses urine samples to test for hepatitis,
flu, and TB.
Carolyn Slupsky stated that
infections like hepatitis and HIV cause “unique” changes in a person’s urine;
testing works by measuring those metabolic changes in a urine sample. The
company claims two advantages for the testing method: A single urine sample can
reveal the presence of HIV, hepatitis, and TB; and the test can also pinpoint
how recently the HIV infection was acquired.
Funders of the Metabolistics HIV
test project believe that early HIV diagnosis followed by prompt access to
antiretroviral drugs can help to prevent further HIV transmission and reduce
the number of new infections. Metabolistics will begin testing the urine sample
method this year, and hopes to make HIV testing via urine samples available by
next year.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
