Molecular fingerprinting for surgery patients

Real-time analysis of body fluids and tissues from patients on the operating table is possible thanks to researchers from Imperial College London, who hope to extend the process to the entire patient journey

Using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, researchers are able to diagnose patients in real-time by determining the chemical composition of a biological sample. The result is a molecular fingerprint, which could provide useful diagnostic information about which parts of the tissue are diseases, how severe the disease is and what the effects of particular therapies might be.

“We are using powerful metabolic screening tools to give doctors more information about the patient’s physiology and their response to treatment,” said Professor Jeremy Nicholson, head of the department of surgery and cancer. “This is a bold step in translational medicine that will help optimise the management of individual patients.”

The researchers hope to go a step further and use this approach to monitor the whole patient journey to help doctors choose the best treatments options before, during and after an operation.

“We anticipate that metabolic phenotyping will revolutionise the way we map the surgical patient journey,” said Professor Lord Ara Darzi, chair of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial. “It will provide us with information before, during and after surgery, ensuring that we deliver surgical care that is truly customised to each patient’s unique metabolic makeup.”

They hope to begin analysing samples later this year, when a new centre – containing two high field NMR spectrometers – will open.

“We intend to use this approach to monitor cancer patients and patients in intensive care,” said Nicholson. “The new diagnostic information will help doctors to manage patients with rapidly changing or highly complex disease conditions.”

“Ultimately we hope to save lives as well as the NHS money with these new methods.”