New test uses nanotechnology, artificial intelligence to diagnose TB in children

A new blood test developed by Tulane University researchers combines nanotechnology with artificial intelligence to diagnose tuberculosis (TB) in children in instances when the deadly disease might otherwise go undetected, according to a study in Nature Biomedical Engineering. Although the current test requires a sophisticated lab to perform, researchers are working to streamline it so it can be performed in the community and read with a smartphone. "TB is a disease found primarily in resource-limited areas, the ideal is to create a smartphone-based method that could be used at the point-of-care in these settings," said senior study author Tony Hu, PhD, Weatherhead Presidential Chair in Biotechnology Innovation at Tulane University. TB is the second most common cause of infectious disease death worldwide, having only recently been supplanted by COVID-19. The disease is particularly deadly in young children, especially those with HIV.