Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a global health problem. Early diagnosis, rapid antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation and monitoring of viral load are the key strategies for effective HIV management. Many people in resource limited settings where timely access to medical care is a challenge and healthcare infrastructure is poor have no access to laboratory facilities and diagnosis is dependent on the presence of point of care (POC) devices. POC instruments have shown to be easy to operate, maintain and transport and can easily be operated by less skilled health workers. Additionally, POC tests do not require laboratory technicians to operate. POC devices have resulted in a growing number of people testing for HIV and thereby receiving treatment early. In recent years, there has been great improvement in the development of POC technologies for early HIV diagnosis, HIV viral load and cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) measurement. This review discusses POC technologies that are currently available and in the pipeline for diagnosing and monitoring HIV. We also give an overview of the technical and commercialization challenges in POC diagnostics for HIV.
Highlights
The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is responsible for causing acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and was first recognised in 1983 [1]
At the end of 2014, an estimated 36.9 million (34.3 to 41.4 million) people were living with Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and 2 million (1.9 to 2.2 million) people became newly infected with HIV (UNAIDS)
As from June 2015, 15.8 million people infected with HIV had access antiretroviral therapy (ART), compared to 13.6 million in June 2014, and 1.2 million people died from AIDS related illnesses at the end of 2014 [2]
Summary
The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is responsible for causing acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and was first recognised in 1983 [1]. To increase the accessibility of treatment for HIV infected patients residing in resource limited settings of developing countries, a lot of work has been directed to developing point of care (POC) that meet the “ASSURED” characteristics set out by the World Health. In the case of HIV, the analytical targets can include human cells, proteins as well as nucleic acids and the samples can be blood, saliva and urine [8] Irrespective of where these POC tests are used, they allow a sample with little or no preparation and the results can be obtained in seconds to a few hours [8]. We go into the HIV diagnostics where we provide detail on HIV rapid tests, viral load monitoring and CD4 counting with specific reference to POC technologies. We provide the technical challenges involved in the development and commercialisation of POC devices and give the future perspective
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
