What is the progress/status of a simple blood test vs. a muscle biopsy?
Muscle biopsy is presently the only reliable test of MH susceptibility. Our hope, by understanding the genetics of malignant hyperthermia at a molecular level, is to be able to determine whether a patient harbors the gene(s) for malignant hyperthermia. Such a test would be very specific, accurate and would employ blood cells. The genetics of malignant hyperthermia is very complicated and, so far, there are at least 40 genes involved in MH susceptibility. MHAUS is diligently doing research in this area in an effort to establish a lab for the development of a molecular genetic test for susceptibility to MH.
