NOVEL METHOD FOR DETECTING HIV INFECTED CELLS

拟议的第一阶段研究将探索一种新的开发， 超灵敏的原位杂交分析形式， 单个HIV感染细胞而不使用靶扩增。 几 将结合最先进的技术，包括单细胞 包封，原位杂交方法，荧光底物， 和数字图像显微镜。 灵敏度与放大相当 聚合酶链式反应（PCR）等技术有望成为 由于凝胶微滴（GMD）固有的高信号密度， 技术和使用新技术检测低酶水平的能力， 荧光基质。 如果成功的话，这种定量测定形式将在临床上得到广泛的应用。 艾滋病诊断的几个战神，包括确认，疾病分期， 治疗监测，并确定明显无病，但 艾滋病毒感染者。 除了检测和测量病毒， HIV感染的细胞，这种高灵敏度的检测方法有望得到改进 其它病毒和细菌测定以及分子细胞遗传学测定。 拟定商业应用：一种能够 检测单个病毒感染细胞而不使用扩增 这些方法预期具有广泛的商业实用性， 诊断以及研究用途。

The proposed Phase I research will explore the development of a novel, ultra-sensitive, in situ hybridization assay format capable of detecting a single HIV infected cell without using target amplification. Several state of the art technologies will be combined including single cell encapsulation, in situ hybridization methods, chemiluminescent substrates, and digital image microscopy. Sensitivity comparable to amplification techniques, such as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), is expected to be achieved due to the high signal density inherent in gel microdrop (GMD) technology and the ability to detect low enzyme levels using novel chemiluminescent substrates. If successful, this quantitative assay format would find wide utility in several ares of AIDS diagnosis including confirmation, disease staging, therapeutic monitoring, and identification of apparently disease-free but HIV-infected individuals. In addition to detecting and measuring virus in HIV infected cells, this highly sensitive assay is expected to improve other viral and bacterial assays as well as molecular cytogenetic assays. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: A new assay format which is capable of detecting single, virally infected cells without using amplification methods is expected to have wide commercial utility for clinical diagnostics as well as research uses.