Quick Detection of Respiratory Disease-causing Viruses

Researchers identified the world's first plasmoinc isothermal PCR technology can detect 8 types of pathogens (4 bacteria and 4 viruses).

Plasmonic isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification array chip can detect 8 pathogens that cause acute respiratory infectious diseases in 30 minutes.

Present detection technology for COVID-19 is not possible to assess on-site as it takes about 4 hours or more to be confirmed after specimen collection, making it difficult to isolate the infectee as soon as possible.

‘New medical device can identify pathogens in half an hour on-site. Core plasmonic nanomaterials enable ultra-sensitive diagnosis of more than 10 types of respiratory viral pathogens.’
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So, the researchers combined isothermal PCR technology with 3D Au nanostructured substrate which can amplify the fluorescence signal of RPA products with DNA amplicons and sucessfully detected bacterial DNA and viral RNA within 30 minutes.

The research team also developed a 3D plasmonic array chip for multiplex molecular detections: a chip that can simultaneously analyze 8 pathogens like Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Coronavirus 229E, OC42, NL63(Coronavirus 229E, OC43, NL63), Human metapneumovirus.

The "multiplex diagnosis technology for acute respiratory infections" was also confirmed to be reliable for clinical specimens collected by nasopharyngeal swabs. The team is planning to perform the reliability test of medical devices through linical trials on COVID-19 infectees and to get approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

The "3D plasmonic nanomaterials technology for enhancing optical signal" of KIMS has already been patented in Korea, the US, and China, and the "on-site rapid pathogen detection technology" has been applied for a domestic patent jointly with Samsung Medical Center.

"We developed a medical device that can detect pathogens in half an hour on-site, by developing core plasmonic nanomaterials which enable ultra-sensitive pathogene diagnosis of more than 10 types of respiratory viral pathogens.

The on-site molecular diagnostic devices can be prevalent rapidly as we actively research with Samsung Medical Center and domestic diagnostic device companies." said Dr. Sung-Gyu Park, a principal research scientist of KIMS.

Jung-hwan Lee, the president of KIMS said, "KIMS consistently supports to commercialize the on-site molecular diagnosis technology for respiratory infectious disease and ultrasensitive drug detection sensor technology which are based on the 3D highly sensitive plasmonic nanomaterials.

Coronavirus
Coronaviruses infect animals, humans, and birds. Human coronaviruses, such as SARS, MERS, and 2019-nCoV cause respiratory distress and even death. The S protein is the infectious agent of the virus.

We will do our utmost so that our research outcomes contribute to the quality of life and safe society."

Source-Medindia