A Canadian research team has developed a blood test that can quickly predict if a patient is likely to develop sepsis, a deadly condition triggered by the immune system’s harmful response to infection. Sepsis causes thousands of deaths annually in Canada and nearly 50 million worldwide, according to Dr. Claudia dos Santos, senior author of the study published in Nature Communications.
Timely treatment is critical, as delays increase mortality risk significantly. Currently, no single test reliably identifies which patients with infections will develop sepsis, due to its non-specific symptoms overlapping with infection signs.
The new test detects a six-gene signature, called “Sepset,” identified using artificial intelligence by researchers from the University of British Columbia and National Research Council Canada. Elevated expression of these genes signals abnormal immune activity preceding sepsis onset.
Using blood samples from 586 patients, the test predicted sepsis development within 24 hours with 92% accuracy. The portable Powerblade device analyzes a small blood sample in under three hours, enabling early intervention such as antibiotics and critical care preparation.
A clinical trial to validate real-time patient testing is planned with Canadian Institutes of Health Research funding, aiming to improve sepsis outcomes.
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