Molecular diagnosis of protozoan parasites by Recombinase Polymerase Amplification. 2018

A Castellanos-Gonzalez, and A C White, and P Melby, and B Travi
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, United States; Center for Tropical Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, United States.

Infections caused by protozoan parasites affect millions of people around the world. Traditionally, diagnosis was made by microscopy, which is insensitive and in some cases not specific. Molecular methods are highly sensitive and specific, but equipment costs and personnel training limit its availability only to specialized centers, usually far from populations with the highest risk of infection. Inexpensive methods that can be applied at the point of care (POC), especially in places with limited health infrastructure, would be a major advantage. Isothermal amplification of nucleic acids does not require thermocyclers and is relatively inexpensive and easy to implement. Among isothermal methods, recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) is sensitive and potentially applicable at POC. We and others have developed RPA diagnostic tests to detect protozoan parasites of medical importance. Overall, our results have shown high specificity with limits of detection similar to PCR. Currently, the optimization of RPA for use at the POC is under development, and in the near future the tests should become available to detect protozoan infections in the field. In this review we discuss the current status, challenges, and future of RPA in the field of molecular diagnosis of protozoan parasites.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D011528 Protozoan Infections Infections with unicellular organisms formerly members of the subkingdom Protozoa. Histomoniasis,Infections, Protozoan,Histomoniases,Infection, Protozoan,Protozoan Infection
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D045522 Recombinases A broad category of enzymes that are involved in the process of GENETIC RECOMBINATION. Recombinase,Resolvase,Resolvases
D019095 Point-of-Care Systems Laboratory and other services provided to patients at the bedside. These include diagnostic and laboratory testing using automated information entry. Bedside Computing,Point of Care Technology,Bedside Technology,Point-of-Care,Bedside Technologies,Computing, Bedside,Point of Care,Point of Care Systems,Point-of-Care System,Systems, Point-of-Care,Technologies, Bedside,Technology, Bedside
D021141 Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques Laboratory techniques that involve the in-vitro synthesis of many copies of DNA or RNA from one original template. DNA Amplification Technic,DNA Amplification Technique,DNA Amplification Techniques,Nucleic Acid Amplification Technic,Nucleic Acid Amplification Technique,RNA Amplification Technic,RNA Amplification Technique,RNA Amplification Techniques,Amplification Technics, Nucleic Acid,Amplification Techniques, Nucleic Acid,DNA Amplification Technics,Nucleic Acid Amplification Technics,Nucleic Acid Amplification Test,Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests,RNA Amplification Technics,Technics, Nucleic Acid Amplification,Techniques, Nucleic Acid Amplification,Amplification Technic, DNA,Amplification Technic, RNA,Amplification Technics, DNA,Amplification Technics, RNA,Amplification Technique, DNA,Amplification Technique, RNA,Amplification Techniques, DNA,Amplification Techniques, RNA,Technic, DNA Amplification,Technic, RNA Amplification,Technics, DNA Amplification,Technics, RNA Amplification,Technique, DNA Amplification,Technique, RNA Amplification,Techniques, DNA Amplification,Techniques, RNA Amplification
D025202 Molecular Diagnostic Techniques MOLECULAR BIOLOGY techniques used in the diagnosis of disease. Molecular Testing,Molecular Diagnostic Technics,Molecular Diagnostic Testing,Diagnostic Technic, Molecular,Diagnostic Technics, Molecular,Diagnostic Technique, Molecular,Diagnostic Techniques, Molecular,Diagnostic Testing, Molecular,Molecular Diagnostic Technic,Molecular Diagnostic Technique,Technic, Molecular Diagnostic,Technics, Molecular Diagnostic,Technique, Molecular Diagnostic,Techniques, Molecular Diagnostic,Testing, Molecular,Testing, Molecular Diagnostic

Related Publications

A Castellanos-Gonzalez, and A C White, and P Melby, and B Travi
June 2022, Canadian journal of microbiology,
A Castellanos-Gonzalez, and A C White, and P Melby, and B Travi
January 2017, Frontiers in microbiology,
A Castellanos-Gonzalez, and A C White, and P Melby, and B Travi
September 2021, Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland),
A Castellanos-Gonzalez, and A C White, and P Melby, and B Travi
January 2014, PloS one,
A Castellanos-Gonzalez, and A C White, and P Melby, and B Travi
December 2018, Journal of medical microbiology,
A Castellanos-Gonzalez, and A C White, and P Melby, and B Travi
June 2018, Analytical biochemistry,
A Castellanos-Gonzalez, and A C White, and P Melby, and B Travi
July 2016, Clinical chemistry,
A Castellanos-Gonzalez, and A C White, and P Melby, and B Travi
August 1986, Parasitology today (Personal ed.),
A Castellanos-Gonzalez, and A C White, and P Melby, and B Travi
February 2023, Diagnostic microbiology and infectious disease,
A Castellanos-Gonzalez, and A C White, and P Melby, and B Travi
September 2016, Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc,
Copied contents to your clipboard!