Scientists test accessible, affordable diagnostic tool for heart disease risk via molecular blood screening

Highlights: 

• Scientists successfully test rapid, reliable method for assessment of heart disease risk 

• The method can measure 25 important markers in the blood simultaneously – such as cholesterol – in less than 15 minutes using radio waves
• This new application (currently research use only) could support more patients or people from the general population, in more locations – including regional and remote areas - to access prompt diagnosis and earlier treatment  
• Science is moving closer to integrating advanced molecular diagnostics into routine healthcare and preventive medicine

A groundbreaking study has successfully translated high-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy based lipoprotein analysis to “low cost” and easy to use benchtop NMR systems, enabling more accessible, high-throughput cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment in clinics and laboratories worldwide. 

Led by an international team of researchers from the Australian National Phenome Centre (ANPC) at Murdoch University, CIC bioGUNE, Monash University, and Bruker Biospin GmbH, this collaborative effort published in Analytical Chemistry, presents a major step toward making molecular phenotyping accessible in routine clinical practice. 

Lipoproteins are well known to play a critical role in cardiovascular health, with their composition and concentration directly linked to CVD risk.  

Lipoproteins are also associated with a broader spectrum of medical conditions, such as diabetes and obesity.   

Current clinical methods for lipoprotein profiling focuses on a very narrow set of blood markers, mainly targeting cardiovascular diseases. While current NMR techniques provide a much more detailed profile, they require high-field NMR spectrometers and specialised facilities that are extremely expensive, limiting their use in clinical environments. 

The research team developed a calibration model allowing benchtop NMR spectrometers (80 MHz) to accurately quantify 25 key lipoprotein markers, including total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, ApoA1, and ApoB100, in <15 minutes per sample. These markers are essential for assessing cardiometabolic risk and monitoring inflammatory conditions, providing clinicians with a rapid and reliable diagnostic tool. 

ANPC Director and co-study lead Professor Jeremy Nicholson said one of the study’s key achievements was demonstrating reproducibility across three independent laboratories, thus validating the robustness of the proposed technology. 

The ability to perform high-precision lipoprotein analysis on compact, easy-to-maintain instruments represents a paradigm shift in preventive medicine.  

“The ANPC is focussed on biomedical discovery and effective clinical translation. Currently most CVD risk markers are only measured on high-risk patients, and it would be much better to detect these markers earlier to enable corrective action,” Professor Nicholson said. 

“This new approach will also allow us to study the general population at scale for the first time.”   

Lead researcher Professor Julien Wist said the research findings demonstrated that medical science “is one step closer to integrating advanced molecular diagnostics into routine healthcare”. 

"Our approach demonstrates that sophisticated lipoprotein analysis can be performed reliably outside of specialised research environments," he said.   

Dr Philipp Nitschke, a contributing researcher to the study, said: “By eliminating the barriers associated with high-field NMR, we are enabling broader access to detailed lipid profiling, which could significantly improve early detection and management of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.” 

The affordability and accessibility of benchtop NMR technology could transform cardiovascular disease screening, particularly in resource-limited settings or in geographically vast regions with dispersed and sometimes deprived populations such as Western Australia, where centralised testing facilities may be hundreds of kilometres from rural communities.  

The technology’s potential extends beyond CVD risk assessment to applications in diabetes management, chronic inflammatory disease monitoring, and even infectious disease, leveraging ANPC’s discovery of new biomarkers of active viral infections. 

“The ability to perform precise lipoprotein analysis at point-of-care would have a major impact on public health,” Professor Nicholson said.

“This is not just about improving individual diagnostics; it’s about enabling population-scale disease prevention and personalised medicine.” 

Dr Falko Busse, Group President Bruker BioSpin, said establishing benchtop NMR as a robust quantitative method in translational clinical research significantly broadened the scope of addressable research targets.  

“Lipoprotein benchtop NMR analysis marks an important step in advancing cardiovascular disease research, and we are optimistic that this will pave the way for breakthroughs in other disease areas,” he said. 

“The successful translation of models from high-field to benchtop NMR demonstrates its feasibility, and we anticipate further advancements through the integration of AI-driven analytical approaches. Bruker is committed to continuing this impactful collaboration with ANPC, expanding the possibilities of benchtop clinical translational research.”   

Colin La Galia, Chair of The Hospital Research Foundation Group (formerly Spinnaker Health Research Foundation, which co-funded the research) said this technology could be a game-changer for community health.    

“This has the potential to be one of the most important contributions to population health and preventative medicine ever seen,” Mr La Galia said. “Having this technology more accessible and affordable will change the way we manage heart disease and other chronic conditions, ultimately saving lives.” 

The researchers plan to further refine the benchtop NMR model, expanding its capabilities for broader clinical applications.  

Ongoing work will explore its use in tracking disease progression and response to treatment using micro-sampling strategies, reinforcing the role of NMR-based diagnostics in modern medicine.  

Currently, this model is for research use only and further funds will be sought for downstream accreditation.  

This study was supported by funding from The Hospital Research Foundation Group (formerly The Spinnaker Health Research Foundation), National Health and Medical Research Council, and the Western Australian Department of Health.   

The research – Benchtop Proton NMR Spectroscopy for High-Throughput Lipoprotein Quantification in Human Serum and Plasma - was published in Analytical Chemistry.  

About the Research Team: 
The study was conducted by a multidisciplinary team from Murdoch University, CIC bioGUNE, Monash University, and the industrial partner Bruker Biospin, bringing together experts in metabolomics, precision medicine, and clinical diagnostics to advance the application of NMR spectroscopy in healthcare.