Scientists Able to Measure Infection Risk from a Droplet of Blood

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A team of researchers at BioMEMS resource centre at Massachesetts General hospital have discovered a way to measure infection risk from a droplet of blood in a few minutes.

Neutrophils are a vital part of the body’s immune system. Recognized as the most abundant type of white blood cell present in human blood, neutrophils function primarily as the body’s first line of defense against infection and inflammation. Within minutes of stimulation, neutrophils migrate from the blood to tissue where they accumulate at sites of infection. One of the most common lab tests ordered on a regular basis is the counting of neutrophils in the blood (absolute neutrophil count).

 “However, simply counting the neutrophils may not be enough in many cases," says Dr Daniel Irimia, Assistant Professor at the BioMEMS Resource Center at Massachusetts General Hospital. " If neutrophils do not migrate well and cannot reach inside the tissues, this situation could have the same consequences as a low neutrophil count." The team recently designed miniaturized silicon-based devices that can be used to measure neutrophils’ migration patterns from just a finger prick of blood in a few minutes. He also says, “The device was designed such that probing neutrophil mobility becomes extremely easy to perform.”