Adaptive Biotechnologies Corporation, which specializes in translating the genetics of the adaptive immune system into products to diagnose and treat disease, launched T-Detect COVID, a T-cell based test that confirms recent or prior COVID-19 infections, according to a news release from the company.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently reviewing T-Detect for emergency use authorization (EUA), the company said.
This is how the testing process for T-Detect COVID works: Patients order T-Detect COVID online by answering a few eligibility questions through a secure portal. A virtual provider will then authorize a prescription and patients can have their blood drawn by a mobile phlebotomist at their home, or they can visit one of nearly 2,000 Labcorp patient service centers. Patients receive an email notification when their results are available, and they can view them via a secure portal.
“T-Detect COVID is the first T-cell test for patients and the first product resulting from Adaptive’s TCR-Antigen Map collaboration with Microsoft,” said Adaptive Biotechnologies Chief Executive Officer Chad Robins. “By mapping the human immune response to COVID-19, we have developed a simple blood-based clinical test to help detect recent or prior infections from our T cells. This approach will be scaled for more accurate and early diagnosis of many infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders and cancer.”
T cells are the adaptive immune system’s first responders to detect any virus. They quickly multiply and circulate in the blood to attack the virus, often before symptoms appear. Among many other jobs, T cells also recruit B cells to produce antibodies after about a week or two to potentially provide immunity against future infection.
