A New Test Kit For Malaria Detection

Scientists from IIT Guwahati have developed a new test kit that makes detecting malaria easy.

In-Detail

Malaria is a continuing burden on India.
Over a million cases were reported in the year 2017.
Detecting the disease early will help save millions of lives.
Making such detection easy, scientists from IIT Guwahati have developed a paper-based malaria test kit and detection method which is Simple, Fast and Reusable.
Using the kit, Plasmodium Falciparum, the malaria-causing parasite can be detected.

The Instruments

Scientists were able to detect the antigen released in the bloodstream by the malaria parasite using a simple syringe fitted with magnetic beads and some chemicals.
The magnetic bead-tethered aptamers (two different DNA molecules) captures only the specific antigen of the parasite, separates these from the blood serum to perform the reaction.
As per the scientists, the detection kit will be cheaper when mass produced and works efficiently even in hot and humid conditions.
One aptamer captures the antigen P. falciparum glutamate dehydrogenase – PfGDH of P.Falciparum strain and the other aptamer captures Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase – PLDH which is common among Plasmodium species.
These captured antigens when comes in contact with the chemical substrate in the syringe, turns the blue dye into pink.
This dye is then adsorbed over a chromatographic paper.
Pink colour on the paper is a direct indication of the presence of P.Falciparum in the blood serum.
The colour intensity increases according to the concentration of the parasite’s antigen in the blood serum.

Patent Application

The scientist team has already applied for the patent for one aptamer and the detection strategy.
In the next phase, scientists will field trial the kit for point of care applications.

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Conclusion

Quick detection of the parasite in the blood will enable healthcare professionals to act quickly to cure the patient of malaria.
The development of a detection kit indigenously will be cost-effective and will help the government achieve its target of eliminating malaria from the country by 2030.

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