Rapid Diagnostic Test for Hepatitis C Developed with Scrapbooking Tool

Scientists have used a novel approach to develop a paper-based multiplex diagnostic immunoassay that could help curb the hepatitis C pandemic.

For patients already diagnosed with Hepatitis C virus (HCV), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two new treatments in late 2013, and others are on the way. Scientists Xuan Mu, Zhi Zheng, and colleagues, of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (Beijing, China), are solving another critical problem—identifying the millions more who unknowingly have the virus and pass it on. They point out that although HCV infects an estimated 150 million people worldwide, current diagnostic testing involves initial screening then a costly second test for confirmation. The extra office visits, money, and time required for definitive diagnosis means that many people are missed as they cannot or do not follow through.

To make diagnosis much more accessible, the researchers applied the recent development of inexpensive paper-based medical technologies to immunoassay detection of human IgG anti-HCV. In a new report they present a novel approach: taking example from the popular scrapbooking pastime, they used a flower-shaped metal paper-puncher on nitrocellulose paper subtrate. This solved the problem of patterning the highly flammable nitrocellulose—without using heat. The flower shape itself provides multiple testing zones, enabling development of a multiplex test. The immunoassays can be conducted such that both HCV tests can be conducted simultaneously on one patient sample on a single flower-shaped paper – at lower cost and in minutes instead of hours.

The work highlights the potential of microfluidic paper-based immunoassays in tackling the diagnostic challenge for the HCV pandemic as well as other diseases. Xuan M., et al. described the new test in the American Chemical Society journal Analytical Chemistry, May 5, 2014, online, ahead of print.

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