Electronic nose “feels” when lung transplant fails

A electronic nose is capable of detecting with 86% accuracy when lung transplantation is failing. This is the result of a research presented at the International Congress “virtual” of the European Respiratory Society.

Electronic nose: this is how it works

Nynke Wijbenga, researcher and medical technician at theErasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, told Congress that the discovery could allow his own colleagues to identify early stage lung transplant failure, known as chronic allograft dysfunction (CLAD), so that they can intervene immediately with the right therapies that stop the worsening of the situation. However, more research is needed before the eNose or electronic nose can be used in the clinic for this purpose.

“At about the 50% of patients lung transplant recipients are diagnosed with chronic allograft dysfunction or chronic rejection within five years of transplantation. Chronic rejection remains the leading cause of death after lung transplantation and, at present, there is no treatment available to reverse it. “, Wijbenga said.

“Once chronic rejection is confirmed, patients can survive an average of one to five years. A new transplant could be a last resort for specific patients with advanced chronic rejection. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to assess whether we can predict or diagnose lung transplant dysfunction at an early stage, possibly allowing for more effective early treatment.“.