DNA Tests May Spot Brain Infections, Johns Hopkins University Study

Genetic testing may help diagnose or rule out brain infections, researchers report.

They said their pilot study showed that using computers to rapidly analyze large amounts of genetic and biological information from brain tissue samples could offer a cost-effective addition to pathology lab testing.

The research team from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore noted that more than 50 percent of inflammatory disorders and infections of the brain go undiagnosed, resulting in patients receiving treatments for individual symptoms that can do more harm than good.

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