CUTTING-EDGE AI-empowered testing from diagnostics expert MI:RNA shows promising results in early detection and monitoring of heart disease in cats and dogs, potentially extending their lives by up to 18 months.
MI:RNA’s NEMO Cardiac Health Screening test, coupled with artificial intelligence (AI), offers a revolutionary approach to identifying and monitoring heart diseases in pets. Current testing standards, which may miss early signs in up to 90% of cases, are outshone by MI:RNA’s diagnostic technology boasting an 85% sensitivity and 83% accuracy for detecting common diseases, particularly mitral valve disease (MMVD), even in its earliest stages.
Mitral valve disease can lead to heart failure, with symptoms including reduced exercise tolerance, coughing, restlessness, and breathing issues. Due to the lack of pronounced symptoms in early cases, the preclinical phase can extend for months or even years, making early detection crucial.
MI:RNA’s innovative approach involves analyzing microRNAs, recently discovered biomarkers associated with disease progression and resolution. When integrated with AI algorithms, this method significantly enhances the early identification of complex conditions like MMVD, offering pets quicker access to optimal care.
Eve Hanks, Founder and CEO of MI:RNA, remarked, “it’s clear that there is a need for additional reliable tools to diagnose and correctly stage MMVD in dogs, by using approaches like the application of microRNA profiling, backed by powerful AI algorithms. This slowly progressing condition eventually leads to congestive heart failure as a result of thickening the cusp of the mitral valve on the left side of the heart.”
The benefits of MI:RNA’s technology extend beyond MMVD, as the same approach can be employed for early detection of other pet diseases, including epilepsy, kidney disease, intestinal diseases, and cancer.
Professor Joanna Dukes-McEwan, Professor of Veterinary Cardiology at the University of Liverpool, commented, “a simple blood test which could confirm that the cause of a heart murmur is MVD, and also indicate its severity, and whether the patient would benefit from treatment would be really helpful for primary care vets in practice.”
MI:RNA’s microRNA profiling, supported by AI, has the potential to reshape veterinary diagnostics, providing pet owners, breeders, and primary care vets with invaluable tools for identifying, monitoring, and addressing a spectrum of health conditions in animals. This groundbreaking technology aligns with the growing trend of precision medicine, offering targeted solutions for improved healthcare outcomes in pets.
