This event is archived. Final snapshot from when the story concluded. View on Dashboard
Events / Technology / ASU Develops Urine Test for Autism
Tech medical breakthrough

ASU Develops Urine Test for Autism

Analysis based on 8 articles · First reported May 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 01, 2026

Sentiment
70
Attention
4
Articles
8
Market Impact
General
Live prominence charts, article sentiment distribution, and event development timeline available on the Ergen Dashboard
Market Impact

The development of this urine test by Arizona State University could significantly impact the healthcare and biotechnology sectors by providing an earlier, more objective diagnostic tool for Autism. This could lead to increased demand for related diagnostic services and potential investment in companies like Analytos that commercialize such tests, while also fostering further research into gut microbiome-based therapies.

Biotechnology Healthcare Pharmaceuticals
Event Summary

Scientists at Arizona State University, led by Christina Flynn and James Hopkins Adams, have developed a novel urine test, the Microbially-Derived Metabolite (MDM) System, for earlier detection of Autism in children aged 2 to 11. The test screens for 17 microbial metabolites, which are found at significantly elevated levels in 80-90% of children with autism. The study, published in Molecular Psychiatry, demonstrated 90% sensitivity and 100% specificity in trials. This breakthrough offers a biology-based screening tool to complement behavioral assessments, potentially reducing diagnostic wait times and enabling earlier interventions. The test is already being offered internationally by Analytos, a partner lab in the United Kingdom. Researchers also propose a new subtype, 'ASD associated with microbially-derived metabolites' (ASD-MDM), encompassing most autism cases, and suggest potential for microbiota-based therapies.

Entities Involved
per
Christina Flynn
Christina Flynn, as the first author of the study and research director of the Autism Diagnostics Laboratory, is a key figure in the development and commercialization of the MDM System, boosting her professional standing.
Importance 80.0 Sentiment 70.0
per
James Hopkins Adams
James Hopkins Adams, as the corresponding author and researcher at the Biodesign Center for Health Through Microbiomes, played a crucial role in the scientific understanding and promotion of the MDM System.
Importance 75.0 Sentiment 60.0
oth
Biodesign Center for Health Through Microbiomes
The Biodesign Center for Health Through Microbiomes at Arizona State University is where the research was conducted, enhancing its reputation and potential for future funding.
Importance 70.0 Sentiment 60.0
oth
Autism Diagnostics Laboratory
The Autism Diagnostics Laboratory, a CLIA-certified lab, is involved in the commercialization and broader availability of the MDM System.
Importance 60.0 Sentiment 60.0
per
Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown
Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown, a co-author and director of the Biodesign Center for Health Through Microbiomes, contributed to the research and its validation.
Importance 50.0 Sentiment 50.0
oth
Analytos
Analytos, a partner lab in the United Kingdom, is offering the urine test internationally, indicating early commercial adoption and potential revenue streams.
Importance 40.0 Sentiment 50.0
cnt
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is mentioned as the location of Analytos, a lab offering the test internationally.
Importance 5.0 Sentiment 0.0
ERGEN INTELLIGENCE
Track this event live

Set up alerts, explore entity relationships, search across thousands of events, and build custom intelligence feeds.

Open Dashboard

About Ergen

Ergen is a news intelligence platform that converts raw news articles into structured data. It tracks events, entities, and the relationships between them, with sentiment and attention metrics derived from thousands of articles. Pages on this site are daily static snapshots from the platform's live database. For real-time tracking, search, and alerts, the full dashboard is at app.ergen.ai.