Dimension Biotechnologies is developing a novel blood test designed to reveal biochemical signs of disease within the microvasculature – the vast network of microscopic blood vessels responsible for delivering oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Damage to the microvascular system is key to the development of some of today’s biggest global healthcare challenges, like kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, and dementia.
But, despite its importance, microvascular disease remains difficult to detect and monitor in clinical practice, limiting both diagnosis and the development of new treatments. This new technology could make assessing microvascular health possible in a routine blood test.
Dr Arne Scott, co-founder and CEO of Dimension, said: "Doctors can see the consequences of microvascular disease every day, but they lack practical tools to measure it directly. Our goal is to make microvascular health measurable through a routine blood test, helping researchers develop better treatments, and enabling patients to benefit from earlier and more targeted interventions.”
Dimension's technology addresses this challenge by measuring changes in the glycocalyx – a sugar-rich layer that coats the inside surface of blood vessels and is essential for healthy microvascular function. When blood vessels become damaged, the glycocalyx changes in ways that can provide an early indication of disease.
The company's platform analyses glycocalyx signatures carried on circulating red blood cells as they travel through the body's microvascular networks. This enables researchers and clinicians to generate a biochemical "fingerprint" of microvascular health from a simple blood sample, without the need for specialised imaging equipment or invasive tissue biopsies.
Dimension was founded following decades of research by Professor Simon Satchell and Dr Matthew Butler, members of the University of Bristol's internationally recognised Bristol Renal research group and Consultant Nephrologists at North Bristol NHS Trust. Their recent breakthroughs in glycocalyx biology were published in Nature Communications earlier this year.
The founding scientific team has been joined by experienced biotechnologists and startup founders, including Dr Scott and COO Dr Ulrike Gorochowski, formerly of Bristol spinout Rosa Biotech, and Professor Steve Harper, co-founder of Exonate and IsomAb, both companies developing therapies for vascular disease.
The funding round combines £490,000 of investment from Kidney Research UK, the University of Bristol, local angel investors and the prestigious KQ Labs Accelerator at the Francis Crick Institute, alongside £215,000 in Innovate UK grant funding, including support through the Investor Partnerships programme.
Professor Satchell, co-founder of Dimension Biotechnologies, said: "Having studied the glycocalyx in the laboratory for more than 20 years, it is incredibly exciting to now have a viable way of measuring it in people. This assay has the potential to accelerate the development of treatments that could improve health and wellbeing by restoring the glycocalyx and blood vessel function."
Dr Butler, co-founder of Dimension Biotechnologies, said: "The glycocalyx is fundamental to vascular health, but it is also highly dynamic and can change rapidly at the earliest signs of disease. Until now, detecting these changes often required invasive tissue biopsies and specialised microscopy. Dimension's ability to identify biochemical fingerprints of blood vessel damage and recovery through a simple blood test could finally bring microvascular monitoring into the clinical mainstream."
Dr David Crosby, chief research officer at Kidney Research UK, said: "We are proud to have previously supported the research underpinning Dimension Biotechnologies. Our new investment reflects our confidence in the science and its potential for real-world impact. As a partner in the Innovate UK Investor Partnership programme, we also helped secure matched grant funding, further accelerating progress towards patient benefit. This new blood test has the potential to give insights into blood vessel health that have not been possible before. This could open a new window of opportunity for earlier treatments in kidney disease, which is key to improving outcomes and the lives of patients. We look forward to hearing the results as this new technology is developed."
Dimension plans to work with clinical, biotech and pharmaceutical partners to accelerate development of next-generation therapies for microvascular-related diseases, including cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic disorders, helping ensure they reach the patients who will benefit most.
The company recently moved into laboratory space at Science Creates in Bristol and will use the newly secured funding to expand its team, strengthen its intellectual property portfolio, and accelerate the development of its platform towards adoption in healthcare and drug development. The technology is already being evaluated in NHS clinical studies and used by researchers at University of Bristol.