In a first, researchers have developed a novel DNA computer that is capable of detecting several antibodies in the blood, that may allow better control of the medication for diseases like rheumatism and Crohn’s.
“What is special about this system is that it can think and that it can be connected to actuation such as drug delivery,” said Maarten Merkx, professor at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in The Netherlands.
To determine whether someone has a particular disease, it is essential to measure the concentration of specific antibodies – the agents that our immune system produces when we are ill.
The new method will translate the presence of each antibody into a unique piece of DNA whereby the DNA computer can decide on the basis of the presence of one or more antibodies whether drug delivery, for example, is necessary.