As coeliac disease becomes more prevalent in the community, researchers are still working to find a non-invasive diagnostic test that is simple, inexpensive and accurate.

According to a review of current options, auto-antibody tests are inconsistent; genetic testing has a low predictive value; and tests such as gluten specific T cells and gliadin-induced cytokines remain costly.

Many patients who have already found symptom relief via a gluten free diet are also reluctant to reintroduce gluten before a biopsy or face a gluten challenge.

A team at the University of Technology Sydney is working towards finding new solutions based on microfluidics and nanotechnology. The limbic spoke to Dr Olga Shimoni from the Institute for Biomedical Materials and Devices at UTS.

What’s most exciting about microfluidics and nanotechnology and why should clinicians be interested?

Nanoscience and nanotechnology have revolutionised the face of current technologies. Development of nanoscale sensors and devices may provide a personal and cost-effective rapid testing, potentially in the doctor’s office, as well as continuous medical monitoring of patient’s health.

More importantly, nanoscale sensors and devices hold a promise to identify disease in the early stages, when it can be easily prevented or treated with less damage to the patient.

What is your project in coeliac disease hoping to achieve?

We hope to develop a cheap, accurate, simple and safe point-of-care test that would be widely available to the public. It would greatly reduce the cost burden of diagnosis on both the individual and the Medicare system.

Our vision is that the device will be available over-the-counter from pharmacies in much the same way as a pregnancy test has been for decades. It will allow a non-invasive fast screening of patients in the privacy of their home. It will, quite simply, be a revolution in the diagnosis of coeliac disease.

Point-of-care diagnostics based on nanotechnology have been in the area of infectious diseases such as HIV. How much potential is there for this technology in non-communicable diseases?

One of the first available POCT devices was for blood glucose monitoring in patients with diabetes. A current trend for POCT development is recognition of various cancerous cells in body fluids such as blood, saliva or urine.