A rapid HIV RNA detection without sample preparation crosslife technologies INC

Project summary/abstract early diagnosis of new infections and detection of emergence of viral rebound for individuals on treatment hold the key to effective management of HIV. Among many diagnostic approaches, self-testing has become increasingly acceptable in recent years, but immunoassay-based home tests are insufficiently sensitive for early diagnosis and incompatible with treatment monitoring. In this project, we propose to develop a rapid, sensitive, specific, simple, and cost-effective diagnostic technology for RNA detection in unprocessed blood samples. The proposed technology features unique chemistry innovations in biomolecular assays (TARA) and our ability in integrating and automating these innovations onto simple devices with precisely time-gated steps. The R61 phase (aims 1-3) focuses on technology development, integration, and optimization; and the R33 phase (aims 4-5) focuses on technology validation using archived samples and prospective clinical samples. These specific tasks will be carried out by a highly multidisciplinary team with well-established collaborations and complementary expertise. If successful, the test kit will enable diagnosis and viral load monitoring by individuals in their home or in a pharmacy and be appropriate for minimal-resource settings where HIV is most prevalent. Sensitive diagnosis and monitoring enable earlier treatment and reduce HIV transmission.