Multiplexed Point Of Care Nucleic Acid Assay for STI



 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): With nearly 20 million new infections annually, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are very common in the United States. And with recent changes to the national health care landscape, including the passage of the Affordable Care Act and state budget cuts resulting in the closure of STD and HIV clinics, primary care providers can expect to encounter more patients with STDs. For women and infants, STDs can have serious and long-term consequences, including infertility, facilitation of HIV infection, reproductive trac cancer, pelvic inflammatory disease, and poor perinatal outcomes. STDs cost the US health care system nearly $16 billion every year. The ability to obtain easily available and sensitive Nucleic Acid Based Point Of Care (POC) tests in primary care clinics and inner city clinics may have a far reaching impact on the rates of STDs in this country. From modeling and cost-benefit analyses the bottom line for rapid, accurate, sensitive diagnostic tests is clear - when we have them, we should use them. We propose to develop rapid, accurate, sensitive and cost effective Nucleic Acid based POC system to fulfill the unmet market needs. The system can be readily expanded to include other tests in the future including HIV-Viral load, Hepatitis, Syphilis, MGen, HPV and BV.