New genetic tests lets patients skip biopsies

AlloMap, a new genetic test by Xdx Inc, allows recipients of heart transplants to avoid biopsies. Ordinarily, recipients of heart transplants are required to undergo regular biopsies to check for signs of organ rejection. In these very unpleasant procedures, a catheter is inserted into a vein in the patient’s neck and a sample of heart tissue is removed. Not only is this unpleasant, it also carries a small risk of damaging the heart.
AlloMap works by detecting whether certain genes are being expressed by the body. These genes are normally activated when the body rejects an organ. The test is currently priced at 75% the cost of doing a biopsy. AlloMap is currently offered at 65 facilities in the US and was approved by the FDA in 2008.
Tests like AlloMap stand at the forefront of an exciting and growing field of research into pathological detection via blood sampling. The end goal of this research is to develop a “lab on a chip.” Such a device would allow doctors to perform many tests very quickly and cheaply.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63L3R020100422