WEST HILLS, Calif.– Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science, has introduced the Molecular Microscope Diagnostic System for Lung (MMDx Lung), a new laboratory-developed gene expression profiling test designed to enhance the precision of lung transplant rejection and injury evaluations. The system delivers quantifiable molecular data to aid pathologists in diagnosis and support more confident, timely treatment decisions.
Lung transplant recipients face a significant risk of rejection and often require routine biopsies to monitor organ health. Yet diagnostic consistency remains a challenge — research shows that only 18 percent of pathologists agree on a diagnosis of acute rejection when reviewing the same biopsy sample. Thermo Fisher’s MMDx Lung uses machine learning to analyze gene expression patterns in biopsy samples, comparing each new case against a reference database of more than 896 lung biopsies. The system generates molecular scores reflecting rejection probability, injury, and graft dysfunction, helping clinicians improve diagnostic accuracy and care planning.
“The diagnosis of rejection and injury in lung transplants is very challenging,” said Phil Halloran, Director of the Alberta Transplant Applied Genomics Center and CEO of Transcriptome Sciences Inc. “Based on technology developed by the investigators in the INTERLUNG study, we believe MMDx Lung will better diagnose rejection and detect Chronic Lung Allograft Dysfunction-related molecular changes, providing a more reliable guide for treatment and clinical research as a step toward improving long-term transplant survival.”
Lung transplantation has progressed from an experimental procedure to a standard of care for patients with end-stage lung disease. In the past decade, annual lung transplants in the United States have nearly doubled, yet rejection rates remain higher than in other organ transplants, with a five-year survival rate of just under 60 percent.
“The launch of MMDx Lung enhances our comprehensive portfolio of post-transplant monitoring solutions and reflects our ongoing commitment to helping customers personalize patient care and improve outcomes throughout the transplant journey,” said Tina Liedtky, President of Transplant Diagnostics at Thermo Fisher Scientific.
In the United States, MMDx Lung is offered in collaboration with Kashi Clinical Laboratories, a leader in transplantation immunodiagnostic testing. “Accelerating clinical decision-making through high-quality, rapid results is central to our mission of advancing health and healing for every patient we serve,” said Dr. Todd Johnson, CEO of Kashi Clinical Laboratories. “We’re proud to expand our collaboration with Thermo Fisher Transplant Diagnostics to deliver services for lung, in addition to kidney and heart transplant testing.”
