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Researchers develop USB stick that tests for HIV
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Researchers at Imperial College London and DNA Electronics developed a new type of HIV test that is performed on a USB stick. The device, which requires only a drop of blood, creates an electrical signal that can be read on a hand-held computer device in less than 30 minutes, according to data published in Scientific Reports.
Although the technology is still in the early stages of development, Graham S. Cooke, MD, PhD, from the department of Medicine at Imperial College London, said in a press release that the disposable test could allow patients with HIV to regularly monitor their viral load in the same way that patients with diabetes monitor their blood sugar levels.
“At the moment, testing often requires costly and complex equipment that can take a couple of days to produce a result,” Cooke said in the release. “We have taken the job done by this equipment, which is the size of a large photocopier, and shrunk it down to a USB chip.”
Cooke and colleagues incorporated a low-buffer HIV-1 pH-LAMP (loop-mediated isothermal amplification) assay into a pH-sensitive complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) chip. The assay can amplify and detect HIV-1 RNA on a small sample of blood that is placed on the USB stick. If the virus is present, a change in acidity is triggered and transformed into an electrical signal, which is sent to the USB stick. The USB stick then generates the result in a program on a computer or other electronic device.
The researchers used the USB test to screen 991 samples with detectable viral loads. The test produced results in approximately 20.8 minutes in samples with more than 1,000 RNA copies and yielded a sensitivity of 95% (in vitro).
Cooke said the test will allow health care professionals to rapidly assess viral loads — which cannot be detected with routine HIV tests — to help them determine whether patients are adhering to their treatment regimen. This may help curb HIV drug resistance.
USB stick that tests for HIV.
Source: Imperial College London/DNA Electronics
“HIV treatment has dramatically improved over the last 20 years — to the point that many diagnosed with the infection now have a normal life expectancy,” Cooke said. “However, monitoring viral load is crucial to the success of HIV treatment."
In addition to HIV, the researchers are investigating whether the test can be applied to other viruses, including hepatitis. Furthermore, DNA Electronics is using the technology to develop tests for bacterial and fungal sepsis, as well as antibiotic resistance.
“This is a great example of how this new analysis technology has the potential to transform how patients with HIV are treated by providing a fast, accurate and portable solution,” Chris Toumazou, PhD, BSc, founder of DNA Electronics and executive chairman and Regius Professor of the department of electrical and electronic engineering at Imperial College London, said in the release. “At DNAe we are already applying this highly adaptable technology to address significant global threats to health, where treatment is time-critical and needs to be right the first time.” – by Stephanie Viguers
Disclosures: Cooke reports no relevant financial disclosures. Toumazou and other researchers report being current or former employees of DNA Electronics Ltd, which holds patents on the technology. Please see the study for a full list of researchers’ relevant financial disclosures.
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