Dr.Timothy McCaffrey

My laboratory has closely related research interests:

1) We have made significant advances in identifying and validating biomarkers of host immune activation as a diagnostic tool for internal infections.  Using transcriptome-wide genomic profiling of stabilized blood from patients with a variety of diseases, we have identified specific markers that measure the distinct host responses to bacterial, biofilm and viral infections.  These markers operate independently of each other, and thus it is possible to distinguish different types of infections, as well as co-infections.  This agnostic approach to infection diagnostics has led to multiple patents, a spin-out diagnostics company, and a multi-center FDA clearance trial for the diagnosis of infectious causes of abdominal pain.

2) Using a similar approach, we have converted the RNA biomarkers into assays that measure neutrophil function via magnetic isolation and enzyme kinetic assay. The result is a novel point-of-care device that is fast and inexpensive, providing interesting opportunities especially in low resource environments.

3) We continue to apply similar methods for the diagnosis of chest pain, and have identified interesting and unique markers of coronary artery disease, (CAD) and ischemia with non-obstructive arteries (INOCA). We plan to pair these markers with the cell isolation methods developed above to produce a diagnostic test for CAD and INOCA.

4) A very new and interesting project with Dr. Meltzer has identified new biomarkers of cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), a rapidly escalating disorder with no known cause or cure.  Using genomic technologies, our work suggests that CHS is actually an acquired hypersensitivity to a cannabis antigen, which then triggers hyperemesis.  This novel theory suggests new diagnostics, therapeutics, and prevention strategies.