UT lab develops test for alcoholism

06:59 PM CDT on Tuesday, May 18, 2004

By Celine McArthur / KVUE News

Researchers at the University of Texas are developing a test that can determine whether someone is an alcoholic.

The blood test will allow doctors to detect the disease early enough to treat it.

It would also give employers personal information before they decide to hire someone.

Researchers are developing a blood test that can detect how much a person drinks and even if he or she is an alcoholic.

It looks for genes affected by alcohol abuse.

"We can look at thousands of chemicals in blood that can determine the difference of alcoholics and non-alcoholics," explains Professor Adrom Harris.

Now researchers want to put it to use.

They're teaming up with Proactive Medical Technologies.

The Austin-based company will turn the blood test into a commercial product.

"There is a huge market for molecular diagnostics," says Dr. Gary Yewey with Proactive Medical Technologies.

There's also a medical advantage. The tests can detect alcohol abuse much sooner than standard liver tests.

Civil rights activists aren't as excited about this development.

Drinking is legal, and they say employers don't have the right to know about it.

"If you cross that threshold, what's to prevent you from testing for anything else in your body," asks Jim Harrington with the Texas Civil Rights Project.

The test will be released in two years.

If it's successful, millions of dollars will be pumped back into research at UT.