Implementation and new insights in molecular diagnostics for HIV infection

Abstract

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a kind of acquired disease that breaks down the immune system. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the causative agent of AIDS. By the end of 2016, there were 36.7 million people living with HIV worldwide. Early diagnosis can alert infected individuals to risk behaviors in order to control HIV transmission. Infected individuals are also benefited from proper treatment and management upon early diagnosis. Thanks to the public awareness of the disease, the annual increase of new HIV infections has been slowly declining over the past decades. The advent of molecular diagnostics has allowed early detection and better management of HIV infected patients. Areas covered: In this review, the authors summarized and discussed the current and future technologies in molecular diagnosis as well as the biomarkers developed for HIV infection. Expert Commentary: A simple and rapid detection of viral load is important for patients and doctors to monitor HIV progression and antiretroviral treatment efficiency. In the near future, it is expected that new technologies such as digital PCR and CRISPR-based technology will play more important role in HIV detection and patient management.

Liquid Crystal Based Binding Assay for Detecting HIV-1 Surface Glycoprotein

“…Although there are molecular techniques that are readily available for the detection of gp-120, such as enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA) (Rychert et al, 2010) and western blotting (Lee et al, 2000). However, these methods are very time-consuming, costly and require additional labeling, experienced personnel and well-equipped laboratories (Tsang et al, 2018). Therefore, there is a need to develop a new analytical method which is sensitive, simple, label-free and economical for the detection of gp-120.…”