via Infection Control Today
Diagnosing tuberculosis (TB) early can allow patients to receive the medicine they need and also help prevent the disease from spreading. But in resource-limited areas, equipment requirements and long wait times for results are obstacles to diagnosis and treatment. To tackle this problem, scientists report in ACS Sensors the development of a fast, paper-based tuberculosis test that can be read with a smartphone.
The World Health Organization estimates that in 2015, 1.4 million people died from TB, with most of these deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries. Early diagnosis could help curb these numbers. But conventional methods such as sputum smear microscopy, chest X-rays and molecular-based tests require equipment, electricity and specialized personnel that are not always available in remote or developing areas. So Chien-Fu Chen and colleagues set out to come up with a more practical diagnostic test that can be read with a smartphone, a technology that is increasingly available in emerging economies.
The researchers combined gold nanoparticles with single-stranded DNA sequences that bind to the genetic material of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that cause TB. These nanoparticles were then incorporated into a paper-based device. Adding even a minute amount of lab-derived, double-stranded DNA from M. tuberculosis changed the color of the test spots within an hour. A smartphone camera was used to analyze the color change to determine the bacterial concentration. The researchers also tested a tissue sample from an infected patient to further demonstrate that the device could be used in the field.
Learn more: Paper-based tuberculosis test could boost diagnoses in developing countries
The Latest on: Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis mutation discovery paves way for better treatments - Medical Xpress
September 6, 2019 - Tuberculosis mutation discovery paves way for better treatments Medical XpressA Rutgers New Jersey Medical School study has found a genetically tractable cause of drug tolerant tuberculosis, paving the way for researchers to develop new ...
Scientists Discover New Cure for the Deadliest Strain of Tuberculosis - The New York Times
August 14, 2019 - Scientists Discover New Cure for the Deadliest Strain of Tuberculosis The New York TimesOnce, a diagnosis of extensively drug-resistant TB meant quick death. A three-drug regimen cures most patients in just months.
September 4, 2019 - A tech intervention to tame tuberculosis: An interactive program using mobile phones helps more patients conclude treatment successfully Science DailyResearchers have tested a mobile digital tool that can help tuberculosis patients comply with their treatment programs.
September 4, 2019 - How to Get TB Patients to Take Their Pills? Persistent Texting and a ‘Winners Circle’ The New York TimesThe hardest part of curing tuberculosis, doctors say, is getting patients to take all their pills every day for at least six months. Even the easiest regimens of four ...
Rutgers Tuberculosis Study Provides New Hope to Combat This Epidemic - Longevity LIVE
September 5, 2019 - Rutgers Tuberculosis Study Provides New Hope to Combat This Epidemic Longevity LIVEA Rutgers New Jersey Medical School tuberculosis study has found a genetically tractable cause of drug tolerant tuberculosis. It is hoped this will pave the way ...
Tuberculosis mutation discovery could lead to better treatments - Drug Target Review
September 6, 2019 - Tuberculosis mutation discovery could lead to better treatments Drug Target ReviewNew gene mutation discovery by scientists at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School could lead to more rapid and effective therapies for tuberculosis.Study maps genetics of early progression in tuberculosis - Medical Xpress
September 4, 2019 - Study maps genetics of early progression in tuberculosis Medical XpressWhile the vast majority of the 1.8 billion people infected with the TB bacterium never experience active disease, an estimated 5 to 15 percent do develop ...
Tuberculosis rates down in most U.S. children, but still high in some groups - Reuters
September 2, 2019 - Tuberculosis rates down in most U.S. children, but still high in some groups Reuters(Reuters Health) - Over the past decade, the number of children and teens in the U.S diagnosed with tuberculosis has decreased by nearly half, according to a ...
Controlling tuberculosis by sniffing in a vaccine - The Hindu
September 7, 2019 - Controlling tuberculosis by sniffing in a vaccine The HinduVarious medications have been tried for the disease, but with little success.
New treatment approved for drug-resistant tuberculosis - CNN
August 15, 2019 - New treatment approved for drug-resistant tuberculosis CNNThe US Food and Drug Administration approved a new treatment for highly drug-resistant tuberculosis, offering new hope in the fight against the world's most ...
- Controlling tuberculosis by sniffing in a vaccineon September 7, 2019 at 6:04 am
The disease tuberculosis (TB) has been with us since around 10,000 years ago, when we humans began living in communities. We in India have known it since ancient times, just as the people in Western ...
- Doctor, dubbed S'pore's father of tuberculosis, remembered for saving thousands in new bookon September 7, 2019 at 5:09 am
SINGAPORE - He smuggled medical supplies across enemy lines during the Japanese Occupation, played a pivotal role in eliminating tuberculosis (TB) in Singapore and led the charge against smoking on ...
- Tuberculosis mutation discovery paves way for better treatmentson September 6, 2019 at 12:10 am
A Rutgers New Jersey Medical School study has found a genetically tractable cause of drug tolerant tuberculosis, paving the way for researchers to develop new drugs to combat the global TB ...
- How tuberculosis progresses: genetic factors play a major roleon September 5, 2019 at 2:55 pm
There are almost 1.8 billion people with tuberculosis bacilli in their body, but only about 5% to 15% develop overt infection, usually within 18 months of initial exposure. The reason behind this ...
- Tuberculosis Drugs Market to Surpass US$ 1,651.2 Million by 2027on September 5, 2019 at 12:00 pm
Sep 05, 2019 (IssueWire via COMTEX) -- Seattle, Sep 5, 2019 (Issuewire.com) - Global Tuberculosis Drugs Market, by Therapy Type (First Line Therapy, and Second Line Therapy), By Disease Type (Active ...
- Genome-wide mutational biases fuel transcriptional diversity in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complexon September 5, 2019 at 2:19 am
The Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) members display different host-specificities and virulence phenotypes. Here, we have performed a comprehensive RNAseq and methylome analysis of the main ...
- A tech intervention to tame tuberculosison September 4, 2019 at 2:02 pm
For tuberculosis patients, complying with a full course of treatment can be daunting and difficult. But a new experiment conducted by MIT researchers in Kenya, in collaboration with the digital ...
- Tuberculosis Diagnostics Market Size and Forecast 2026 | SWOT Analysis, Key Insights and Company Profileson September 4, 2019 at 6:32 am
Sep 04, 2019 (Global QYResearch via COMTEX) -- The global Tuberculosis Diagnostics market studies the overall dynamics and trends of the market in terms of various segments and regional outlook for ...
- Tuberculosis rates down in most U.S. children, but still high in some groupson September 2, 2019 at 1:57 pm
(Reuters Health) - Over the past decade, the number of children and teens in the U.S diagnosed with tuberculosis has decreased by nearly half, according to a new study. But that good news doesn't ...
- Breakthrough In Fight Against Multi-Resistant Tuberculosison September 2, 2019 at 7:22 am
Last month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a breakthrough tuberculosis (TB) treatment called pretomanid. Pretomanid is only the third TB drug approved by the FDA in more than 50 years ...
via Google News and Bing News
 early can allow patients to receive the medicine they need and also help prevent the disease from spreading. But in resource-limite){kind=link}