Development of rapid, automated diagnostics for infectious disease: advances and challenges

Abstract

The last 2 years has seen an exponential rise in the amount of research funding made available for the development of rapid diagnostic devices for infectious agents of medical importance. This review reports on several such projects. These highlight the development of fully automated devices for rapid diagnostics, ranging from fully automated real-time PCR-based detection methods to fully automated PCR-and array-based machines for the detection and typing of influenza. This review will also highlight the importance of refocusing work on classical immunoassay techniques, showing how biosensor-based immunoassays can greatly enhance existing assays and at a much reduced cost to molecular-based methods.

Pathogen-Specific Local Immune Fingerprints Diagnose Bacterial Infection in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

“…Thus, for optimum stratification in future studies and to circumvent the limitations of conventional culture techniques, state-of-the-art molecular methods such as 16S and 23S rDNA amplification, mass spectrometry, and/or whole-sample sequencing and metagenomics might be utilized. [7][8][9][10][11]34,35 Such approaches, however, add a further level of complication in the analysis of patient results when the data produced are inconsistent or conflicting. Consequently, there is currently not sufficient evidence for recommending the routine use of molecular techniques for the diagnosis of peritonitis.…”

“…5,[8][9][10][11][12] Ineffective and delayed therapy can lead to chronic or recurrent infections that are typically more serious and more difficult to treat. As a result, there is a low threshold for prescribing broadspectrum antibiotics, although many patients receiving such treatments actually may not have an infection, or could safely be treated with better targeted drugs.…”

RNA signatures allow rapid identification of pathogens and antibiotic susceptibilities

“…Delays in detecting drug-resistant infections in turn delay the implementation of effective therapy and are associated with increased mortality (1,2). Currently, hospitals still rely largely on an assortment of cultures, immunoassays, and molecular techniques (3,4) for diagnosis of infectious disease; these assays can be slow and require specialized training. A prime example of the shortcomings of current diagnostics is tuberculosis: culture-based methods require a minimum of several days to detect the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and drug susceptibilities may not be known for weeks to months after the initial visit to the clinic (5).…”

A reliable aptamer array prepared by repeating inkjet-spotting toward on-site measurement

“…By preparing an array with a combination of suitable recognition materials, such as antigens, DNAs, micro-RNAs, and enzymes, a biosensor can trace multi-analytes to determine a specific condition or disease (Incea et al, 2009). To reduce the required volume of a biological sample (e.g.…”