Poorva Chavan
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Written By: Poorva Chavan | Updated : February 26, 2015 10:46 AM IST
Ebola, the disease which claimed several hundred lives across Africa has been a hot research avenue for scientists around the world. From diagnostic tests to medicines and treatment, scientists and researchers have tapped each and every aspect of the disease for developing ways to diagnose it and treat it efficiently. (Read: 10 reasons that make the Ebola virus deadly for humans)
This time around researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed an easy and quick diagnostic test for Ebola. This test uses a paper strip and is cost effective and can also be used to diagnose other diseases like dengue and yellow fever in just 10 minutes. The novelty of this test lies in its design. It uses a lateral flow technology which is commonly used in pregnancy test kits.
These strips are colour coded which enables them to be used for diagnosis of multiple diseases. The researchers have used triangular, silver nanoparticles that take up different colours depending on their size.. The researchers created red, orange and green nanoparticles and linked them to antibodies that recognise Ebola, dengue and yellow fever. IMF approved a $82.1-million financing package for Ebola-hit Liberia
The test is based on a very simple principle. The patient's blood serum is allowed to flow through the strip and any viral proteins that match the antibodies, painted on the stripes will get caught and those nanoparticles will become visible which can be seen by the naked eye. This process takes only 10 minutes making diagnosis of diseases like Ebola especially on field, easy and quick, ensuring efficient and fast treatment. The researchers hope to obtain the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to begin using the device in areas where the Ebola outbreak is still ongoing. Hamad-Schifferli and Lee Gehrke from MIT's Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES) described the new device in the journal Lab on a Chip.
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