Low-Cost Point-of-Care Test Monitors HIV Treatment

Scientists developed a prototype low-cost HIV monitoring test designed for field use in remote settings.

Developed by Australian scientists, the new test enables patients at the point of care to find out within 30 minutes if they should begin antiretroviral treatment, without any laboratory equipment being required.

The Burnet Institute (Melbourne, Australia) was awarded a grant by The CD4 Initiative for the development of a low cost, rapid point-of-care CD4+ T-cell test, specifically designed for field use in remote settings. Professor Suzanne Crowe, Associate Professor David Anderson, and senior scientist Mary Garcia lead the team at Burnet, which has expertise in diagnostic test development.

The CD4 rapid test, similar in design to a home pregnancy test, works with a finger-prick blood sample to measure the numbers of CD4+ T-cells in a person's blood. CD4+ T-cells are critical for healthy functioning of the immune system and are slowly destroyed during the course of HIV infection. When the numbers of CD4+ T-cells in a person's blood decrease to a critical level, they become increasingly vulnerable to illness. Healthcare workers rely on a CD4 count when making decisions about when HIV-positive patients should begin antiretroviral therapy.

The majority of patients in the developing world do not currently have access to CD4 testing because it is expensive, and relies on sophisticated laboratory testing and specially trained operators. Where testing facilities exist, it is often too difficult for people in rural areas to access them and it can take weeks to obtain results.

Having completed the first phase of trials, the prototype test developed by the Burnet Institute scientists will undergo further validation and clinical studies to ensure the assay offers reliable and reproducible results.

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Burnet Institute