Rheonix Inc, Ithaca, NY, has recently completed development and testing of a microfluidic system and assay to detect host anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibodies and viral RNA simultaneously in a single specimen of saliva or blood. The system will improve HIV testing by detecting early, acute HIV infection and addressing the well-known “seroconversion window,” when antibodies are not yet detectable, thus eliminating the need for multiple patient visits to healthcare providers.
The assay is performed on the Rheonix chemistry and reagent device (CARD). Once a raw sample is placed on the CARD, the automated platform runs with no user intervention through the process of sample extraction, purification, amplification, and detection. The integrated platform eliminates the need for multiple pieces of equipment, making the testing process quicker, more efficient, less expensive, and less likely to result in human error.
According to Rheonix, the global epidemic of HIV and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) continues to be fueled by the large number of individuals who are unaware they are infected, or who have limited access to advanced diagnostics. Governments and nongovernmental organizations around the world support various programs to reduce the impact of the disease by encouraging more frequent testing. Current technologies require confirmation of a positive test result by a second, more-sensitive and more-specific test. However, low-resource settings often lack the sophisticated equipment, trained personnel, and facilities required to test clinical specimens effectively. In addition, the confirmatory test requires a second visit to a health professional that often does not take place.
Greg Galvin, PhD, Rheonix.
“Our technology meets the needs of settings with limited resources. The assays are rapid, sensitive, specific, easy to perform, and inexpensive,” says Greg Galvin, PhD, CEO and chairman at Rheonix. “This combined HIV screening and confirmatory test will have a significant commercial and social impact that we’re excited to see materialize.”
Richard Montagna, PhD, FACB, Rheonix.
“In collaboration with scientists at New York University, we were able to demonstrate how our system can detect both the HIV antibodies and the actual viral RNA, even in the earliest stages of the disease, to immediately confirm whether or not a patient is infected,” says Richard Montagna, PhD, FACB, senior vice president for scientific and clinical affairs at Rheonix. “The fully automated testing system will allow resource-limited regions of the world to have their first-ever opportunity to perform simultaneous serological testing and molecular confirmation for HIV. Quick, complete, and accurate appraisals of patients’ infection status gives healthcare providers in any setting the information needed to facilitate ‘test and treat’ and ‘treatment as prevention’ approaches to controlling the HIV epidemic.”
For more information, visit Rheonix.
REFERENCE
- Chen Z, Zhu H, Malamud D, et al. A rapid, self-confirming assay for HIV: simultaneous detection of anti-HIV antibodies and viral RNA. J AIDS Clin Res. 2016;7(1):540; doi: 10.4172/2155-6113.1000540.
