Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Background
Rapid and extensive testing of large parts of the population and specific subgroups is crucial for proper management of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections and decision-making in times of a pandemic outbreak. However, point-of-care (POC) testing in places such as emergency units, outpatient clinics, airport security points or the entrance of any public building is a major challenge. The need for thermal cycling and nucleic acid isolation hampers the use of standard PCR-based methods for this purpose.Methods
To avoid these obstacles, we tested PCR-independent methods for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from primary material (nasopharyngeal swabs) including reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) and specific high-sensitivity enzymatic reporter unlocking (SHERLOCK).Results
Whilst specificity of standard RT-LAMP assays appears to be satisfactory, sensitivity does not reach the current gold-standard quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays yet. We describe a novel multiplexed RT-LAMP approach and validate its sensitivity on primary samples. This approach allows for fast and reliable identification of infected individuals. Primer optimization and multiplexing helps to increase sensitivity significantly. In addition, we directly compare and combine our novel RT-LAMP assays with SHERLOCK.Conclusion
In summary, this approach reveals one-step multiplexed RT-LAMP assays as a prime-option for the development of easy and cheap POC test kits.
SUBMITTER: Schermer B
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7605681 | biostudies-literature | 2020
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Schermer Bernhard B Fabretti Francesca F Damagnez Maximilian M Di Cristanziano Veronica V Heger Eva E Arjune Sita S Tanner Nathan A NA Imhof Thomas T Koch Manuel M Ladha Alim A Joung Julia J Gootenberg Jonathan S JS Abudayyeh Omar O OO Burst Volker V Zhang Feng F Klein Florian F Benzing Thomas T Müller Roman-Ulrich RU
PloS one 20201102 11
<h4>Background</h4>Rapid and extensive testing of large parts of the population and specific subgroups is crucial for proper management of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections and decision-making in times of a pandemic outbreak. However, point-of-care (POC) testing in places such as emergency units, outpatient clinics, airport security points or the entrance of any public building is a major challenge. The need for thermal cycling and nucleic acid isolation ham ...[more]