Researchers report a CRISPR-based malaria test designed to diagnose symptomatic and asymptomatic carriers as well as individuals carrying difficult-to-detect parasite species. Among the barriers to malaria eradication are asymptomatic carriers who serve as parasite reservoirs and a lack of highly sensitive diagnostic methods suitable for use in resource-limited settings. Sensitive diagnostic methods are also needed for species of malaria parasites other than Plasmodium falciparum. James J. Collins and colleagues developed a CRISPR-based diagnostic method to detect four species of the malarial parasite Plasmodium. The test, which uses a nucleic acid detection platform called SHERLOCK, begins with a 10-minute parasite extraction step, followed by a 60-minute species-specific detection process with readout by fluorescence or on a lateral flow strip. The authors report that the process is optimized for field conditions and resource-limited settings, with a cost of around $0.61 per test. The reaction materials are freeze-dried into a pellet that can be rehydrated, without the need for refrigeration. Additionally, the authors note that the P. falciparum test is capable of detecting below two parasites per microliter of blood--a threshold smaller than the World Health Organization's recommended limit of detection for molecular testing. According to the authors, the test enables rapid, low-cost, sensitive diagnosis of symptomatic and asymptomatic malaria carriers, particularly carriers of non-falciparum parasite species.
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Article #20-10196: "Ultrasensitive CRISPR-based diagnostic for field-applicable detection of Plasmodium species in symptomatic and asymptomatic malaria," by Rose A. Lee et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: James J. Collins, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA; tel: 617-324-6607; e-mail: jimjc@mit.edu
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences