Novel and efficient Chagas disease diagnostic assay
- Detailed Technology Description
- Thisinvention is highly sensitive and efficient array-based, T. cruzi-specific serological assay. Chagasdisease, caused by the intracellular protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is a lifelong health problem in Central andSouth America, where an estimated 18 million people are infected with thisparasite and 100 million are at risk of infection. T. cruzi is known to also be pathogenic in over 100 mammal speciesother than humans, including dogs, cats and rodents, and the infection can betransmitted from these animals to humans. To date, mostChagas’ Disease diagnosis is done either by blood smear techniques or byinaccurate serological assays, which very often lead to false negatives,precluding medical intervention at the early stages of Chagas’, and very ofteneven at more advantage stages of onset and facilitating adventitious infectionthrough transfusions and transplant.
- *Abstract
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A set of 16protein groups were identified and incorporated into a multiplex bead arrayformat which detected 100% of >100 confirmed positive sera and alsodocumented consistent, strong and broad responses in samples undetected ordiscordant using conventional serologic tests. Each serum had a distinct buthighly stable reaction pattern. This diagnostic panel was also useful formonitoring drug treatment efficacy in chronic Chagas disease.
The array-basedserological assays of the invention are useful to screen individual patientsfor infection, and also can be used to screen blood and plasma supplies used intransfusions and research for both medical and veterinary applications. Additionally, this assay could be used as abasic research tool for work on the organism. In addition to the normalclinical setting, the portability of this technology makes it especiallyattractive for use by the military and by health organizations with globalreach.
References and Intellectual Property
Cooley G, Etheridge RD, Boehlke C, Bundy B, WeatherlyDB, Minning T, Haney M, Postan M, Laucella S, Tarleton RL.: High throughputselection of effective serodiagnostics for Trypanosomacruzi infection. PLoSNegl Trop Dis. 2008 Oct 8;2(10):e316.
- Country/Region
- USA
