CRISPR-Based Programmable Nucleic Acid-Binding Protein Technology Can Specifically Detect Fatal Tropical Disease-Causing Pathogens

• Published in: Journal of Tropical Medicine
• Main Authors: Md. Rashidur Rahman, Toma Rani Majumder, Md. Aminul Islam Apu, Alok K. Paul, Afrina Afrose, Biplab Kumar Dash
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2022
• Subjects: Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/5390685; https://doaj.org/article/a1aea603c5e34917aa9e19e809c26703

Diagnostic approaches capable of ultrasensitive pathogen detection from low-volume clinical samples, running without any sophisticated instrument and laboratory setup, are easily field-deployable, inexpensive, and rapid, and are considered ideal for monitoring disease progression and surveillance. However, standard pathogen detection methods, including culture and microscopic observation, antibody-based serologic tests, and primarily polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-oriented nucleic acid screening techniques, have shortcomings that limit their widespread use in responding to outbreaks and regular diagnosis, especially in remote resource-limited settings (RLSs). Recently, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based programmable technology has emerged to challenge the unmet criteria of conventional methods. It consists of CRISPR-associated proteins (Cas) capable of targeting virtually any specific RNA or DNA genome based on the guide RNA (gRNA) sequence. Furthermore, the discovery of programmable trans-cleavage Cas proteins like Cas12a and Cas13 that can collaterally damage reporter-containing single-stranded DNA or RNA upon formation of target Cas-gRNA complex has strengthened this technology with enhanced sensitivity. Current advances, including automated multiplexing, ultrasensitive single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based screening, inexpensive paper-based lateral flow readouts, and ease of use in remote global settings, have attracted the scientific community to introduce this technology in nucleic acid-based precise detection of bacterial and viral pathogens at the point of care (POC). This review highlights CRISPR-Cas-based molecular technologies in diagnosing several tropical diseases, namely malaria, zika, chikungunya, human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV-AIDS), tuberculosis (TB), and rabies.