Chapter 7 - CRISPR-Cas system and its role in the development of viral disease diagnostics

Abstract

In the era of emerging infectious disease, rapid and accurate identification of the etiological agent is desirable for successful patient management and to curb the spread of the disease. World Health Organization recognizes the importance of diagnostic kits in the identification of infectious agent that forms an integral part of mitigating the threat of infectious diseases. Currently polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based diagnostics are in use and are highly specific and sensitive. However, in epidemics and pandemics, where community screening is warranted, PCR-based diagnostics fail to provide rapid results and take hours to predict the nature of the infectious agent. CRISPR and CRISPR-associated proteins (Cas) system, which forms an integral part of the bacterial adaptive immune system, can detect, and degrade any foreign nucleic acid with the help of guide RNA and Cas-endonucleases, respectively. This property of the CRISPR-Cas system has been exploited for designing highly specific, fast, and affordable molecular diagnostics. This chapter focuses on the development of point-of-care molecular diagnostics for detecting various viruses, their limitation, and future prospects.