A single biosensors for the simultaneous molecular detection of HIV and hepatitis b and c viruses at resource-limited settings

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded a $537,619 Project Grant under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) to the University of Central Florida Board of Trustees. The grant, awarded on March 1, 2025, will support the development of a single biosensor platform for the simultaneous detection of HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C viruses, particularly in resource-limited settings. The project aims to integrate the university's recently developed four-way junction (4WJ) electrochemical biosensor technology with an isothermal amplification technique to enable accurate, cost-effective viral detection and monitoring. This work addresses the significant global challenge of high undiagnosed and untreated cases of these viral infections, which can lead to increased morbidity, mortality, and disease transmission. The grant project is expected to be completed by February 29, 2028.

Abstract

Despite advancements in healthcare, the diagnosis of HIV, HCV and HBV remain poor globally, with a high percentage of undiagnosed and untreated cases. This GAP is particularly acute in hard-to-reach populations, leading to increased lifetime costs, lower life expectancy, poorer quality of life and higher rate of transmission. Consequently HIV, HCV and HBV CO-infections are a significant cause of mortality and morbidity and place a huge burden on global public health. In fact, of the estimated 38 million people living with HIV in the US and europe, 4.5 and 3 million, respectively, are estimated to be CO-infected with HBV and HCV. IT is also known that faster progression of HIV infection in those CO-infected with either HBV or HCV, progressively worsening patient prognosis and shortening their life span. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a simultaneous detection platform that can be used at resource-limited settings. Here, we propose to integrate our recently developed technology of an electrochemical biosensor based on four-way junction (4WJ) probes for simultaneous detection of HIV, HCV, and HBV, along with an isothermal amplification (nucleic acid sequence based amplification, nasba) technique that can be used at resource-limited settings. This technology promises to be successful since IT is based on a recent development of the PI who showed for the first time that the 4WJ electrochemical biosensor has the capability to detect all HIV subtypes using one single sensor, thus, overcoming the high genome variability of HIV. Virus quantitation is also possible with the 4WJ electrochemical biosensors; thus, enabling monitoring of treatment efficiency.