Gold Leaf may Help Diagnose Viral Infections Like COVID-19

Gold leaf (gold metal hammered into thin sheets) electrodes in combination with a CRISPR-based assay is developed by researchers in ACS Central Science that could sensitively detect human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in human samples. Other viral infections can also be modified using this method. It is estimated that about 80% of new cases of sexually transmitted infections, such as HPV and human immunodeficiency virus (known as HIV), take place in low-resource settings as per earlier studies. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 90% of cervical cancer deaths, which are caused mainly by HPV, occur in these regions.

Since low-resource settings regions lack the diagnostic facilities, the study team developed a simple, affordable point-of-care test – a three-electrode system using a sheet of 24K gold leaf.

This technology provides a readout in the presence of HPV DNA. The CRISPR Cas12a enzyme was engineered to recognize an HPV sequence on the surface of the electrode. In the presence of HPV DNA, Cas12a became activated, causing the enzyme to cut the dye-tagged DNA sequence, which changed the electrochemical signal.

The assay costs only about $2.30 total per test (compared with $30-75 for existing tests) with high accuracy in detecting the HPV from cervical swabs of patients. The team thereby anticipates that the technology may lay a path to detect any other viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2.

Source-Medindia