A ground-breaking test to diagnose liver fibrosis has received a boost after lead researcher, Professor Chamindie Punyadeera, was selected on to the prestigious LuminaX HealthTech Accelerator Programme.
The LuminaX HealthTech Accelerator is delivered by Cohort Innovation Space, located in the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct (GCHKP), Australia’s emerging hub for health, research and technology innovation.
Australia's Griffith University research uses salivary biomarkers to diagnose the condition which is characterised by excessive accumulation of scar tissue which replaces normal liver tissue and disrupts the organ’s structure and function.
The condition can lead to more severe liver damage culminating in cirrhosis which can cause significant complications such as liver failure, portal hypertension, and an increased risk of liver cancer.
Professor Punyadeera, from Griffith’s Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics, said the selection marks a major milestone for her team and its flagship saliva-based liver fibrosis test.
The test is a novel, non-invasive diagnostic tool aimed at improving early detection and management of liver disease.
The current diagnosis method is a liver biopsy which is both invasive and painful, and cannot be repeated frequently.
“With global rates of liver disease rising, the need for accurate, accessible diagnostic tools has never been greater”, said Professor Chamindie Punyadeera.
