MICROCHIP-BASED FIELD ASSAY TO DETECT DENGUE VIRUS

登革病毒是引起登革热(DF)、登革出血热(DHF)和登革休克综合征(DSS)的病原体。全世界每年有5000万至1亿例DF病例，主要发生在热带和亚热带地区。最近在美洲发生了疫情。目前，商业上还没有可用于直接检测登革病毒感染的诊断检测方法。在流行地区需要这种快速、灵敏和廉价的诊断方法，在现场条件下可以很容易地应用。因此，我们建议开发一种基于扩增的登革病毒检测方法，该方法利用NASBA扩增登革病毒RNA基因组，并使用脂质体-微芯片检测技术检测所产生的扩增产物。这种检测技术(即IDA微芯片)与其他方法相比具有许多优点，特别适用于现场诊断分析。该项目的结果将是一种具有登革热病毒基因分型能力的快速、灵敏的原型测试，可用于全血，并可在现场条件下轻松应用。建议的商业应用：(1)用于美国临床实验室市场以排除登革热感染；(2)用于美国军方的诊断、流行病学和疫苗评估；(3)由世界卫生组织和登革热病毒流行国家用于诊断、流行病学、疫苗/治疗效果和标准保健目的。

Dengue virus is the etiological agent responsible for Dengue Fever (DF), Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF), and Dengue Shock Syndrome (DSS). There are 50-100 million cases of DF annually worldwide, primarily in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Recent outbreaks in the Americas have occurred. Currently, there are no diagnostic assays commercially available for the direct detection of Dengue virus infection. Such an assay is needed in the endemic areas as a rapid, sensitive and inexpensive diagnostic that can be easily applied under field conditions. Consequently we are proposing the development of an amplification based Dengue virus assay which utilizes NASBA amplification of the Dengue virus RNA genome, and detection of the resulting amplicons using a liposome-microchip based detection technology. This detection technology (i.e., IDA-microchip) has a number of advantages over other methods, and is particularly appropriate for a field diagnostic assay. The result of the project will be a rapid, sensitive prototype assay with genotyping capability for Dengue virus, which can be used on whole blood, and can readily be applied under field conditions. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS: The assay is needed: (1) in the clinical laboratory market of the US to rule out Dengue infection; (2) for diagnostic, epidemiological and vaccine evaluation purposes within the US Military; (3) by the WHO and in countries with endemic Dengue virus for diagnosis, epidemiology, vaccine/treatment efficacy, and standard health care purposes.