HIV is the largest killer of humans worldwide. According to the WHO, more than 0.8% of adults all over the world in the 15-49 age groups suffer from HIV. More than 1.7 million people died of AIDS in 2011 and there are more than 34 million living with HIV worldwide. However, active prevention and early detection have managed to bring down the number of new infections and to control existing infections as well. Now, a new portable rapid diagnostic test can Gene-Radar could make a critical difference by detecting an HIV infection in under an hour.

Difference Between Rapid and Traditional HIV Tests

Traditional HIV tests are two-step procedures in which first blood or saliva are tested for the virus. If this test is positive, another test called the Western Blot is done to verify the first result. However, these tests may miss recent infections and provide false results (false-positives or false-negatives within four weeks of infection) as antibodies are still forming. These tests also take about one to three days to provide a result. In the developing world, tests may take anywhere from one week to three weeks to show results and false-positives or false-negatives are common. To prevent this, a Cambridge-based company called Nanobiosym has developed a rapid detection system that will accurately test for many diseases in an hour. The test called Gene-Radar requires a drop of saliva, blood or any other body fluid for the test and can provide accurate results especially for developing countries and for in-clinic testing.

Gene-Radar system is simple as it uses nanites to detect the HIV virus in the fluid sample. Doctors can collect a drop of liquid and place it on a nanochip and insert it in the device to get an on-the-spot result.

The device can also detect specific diseases markers in a few minutes time. Developers Nanobiosym has also stated that the device can be personalized for specific regions and conditions.

The device had generated immense interest and the company was recently provided a $250,000 USAID grant to test the device in Rwanda and India. With additional research, the company plans to produce a device that will eventually be cheaper, smaller and easier to handle.