Advances in Nucleic Acid Assays for Infectious Disease: The Role of Microfluidic Technology

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 29; no. 11; p. 2417
• Main Authors: Wang, Yiran, Chen, Jingwei, Yang, Zhijin, Wang, Xuanyu, Zhang, Yule, Chen, Mengya, Ming, Zizhen, Zhang, Kaihuan, Zhang, Dawei, Zheng, Lulu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 21-05-2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Accuracy; Acids; Communicable diseases; Communicable Diseases - diagnosis; COVID-19; COVID-19 - diagnosis; COVID-19 - virology; CRISPR; Dengue - diagnosis; Dengue fever; Disease transmission; Ebola virus; Efficiency; Epidemics; Extracellular vesicles; Fatalities; Genomes; high throughput; Humans; infectious disease; Methicillin; Methods; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques - methods; microfluidic system; Microfluidics; Microfluidics - methods; Microorganisms; Molecular biology; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques - methods; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques - methods; nucleic acid assay; Pandemics; Public health; Quantitative analysis; rapid diagnosis; Review; SARS-CoV-2 - genetics; SARS-CoV-2 - isolation & purification; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Smart phones; Staphylococcus infections; Technology; Thermal cycling; Zika virus; Zika Virus - genetics; Zika Virus - isolation & purification; Zika Virus Infection - diagnosis; Zika Virus Infection - virology; Netherlands; microfluidic system; infectious disease; high throughput; rapid diagnosis; nucleic acid assay
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules29112417

Within the fields of infectious disease diagnostics, microfluidic-based integrated technology systems have become a vital technology in enhancing the rapidity, accuracy, and portability of pathogen detection. These systems synergize microfluidic techniques with advanced molecular biology methods, including reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR), have been successfully used to identify a diverse array of pathogens, including COVID-19, Ebola, Zika, and dengue fever. This review outlines the advances in pathogen detection, attributing them to the integration of microfluidic technology with traditional molecular biology methods and smartphone- and paper-based diagnostic assays. The cutting-edge diagnostic technologies are of critical importance for disease prevention and epidemic surveillance. Looking ahead, research is expected to focus on increasing detection sensitivity, streamlining testing processes, reducing costs, and enhancing the capability for remote data sharing. These improvements aim to achieve broader coverage and quicker response mechanisms, thereby constructing a more robust defense for global public health security.