Rapid point-of-care molecular detection of evolving mosquito-borne viruses
Overview
C2i has developed an isothermal nucleic acid-based method and reagent kits for POCT of mosquito-borne viruses within 15 minutes, with serotype-level resolution.
Commercialisation opportunities
technology licensing agreement, service contract, test kit sales
Problem addressed
Currently, there is no effective point-of-care testing (POCT) for mosquito-borne viruses. Rapid antigen tests lack serotype resolution and give false negative results; while PCR is limited by equipment and personnel, also suffers from viral mutations. C2i developed an innovative testing method providing accurate results without complex settings.
Innovation
- Isothermal nucleic acid amplification-based molecular POCT for mosquito-borne viruses with serotype resolution
- Sensitive and specific to central-lab level, and even more robust to emerging viral mutations
- Rapid detection with results readable in 15 minutes
Key impact
- Overcomes logistical constraints of current approaches, enabling rapid, accurate, and sensitive point-of-care-testing
- Offers an effective and reliable solution for mosquito-borne virus detection in different environments including customs, clinics, community health centers and field.
- Contributes to disease diagnostics, patient management and outbreak control
Application
- Different healthcare systems, including hospital, clinic, and community centres
- Different pathogen surveillance departments, including CDC and customs
- Different outbreak prevention organizations, including WHO
Patent
- US provisional patent :63/898,423
Centre for Immunology & Infection
Addressing Public Health Issues Posed by Emerging Infectious Diseases
The rise of infectious diseases poses a significant threat to human health and public health systems globally. With the objective of deepening the understanding of human response to viruses and diseases, the Centre for Immunology & Infection (C2i) will contribute to establishing Hong Kong as a global centre of excellence for precision medicine tailored to population strategies and formulate innovative solutions for public health challenges with special attention to emerging infectious diseases.
A major focus of C2i is to apply a new technology platform established by the Institut Pasteur to develop an Immune Report Card for individuals, which will help define the health of one’ s immune system — the first line defence mechanism against diseases. The work will take into consideration individual genetics, previous infection histories, resident microbiota, as well as personal lifestyle and environmental factors to come up with personalised patient management strategies and improve the effectiveness of future public health initiatives.
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