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A New Way to Count Influenza Virus - University of Tokyo Team Develops an Ultrasensitive Detection Me德赢ac米兰官方合作vwinod Updated in April 2019
德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin University of Tokyo team succeeded in developing an ultrasensitive testing method that can single out even one influenza virus. At 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin most, it is 10,000 times more sensitive compared to 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin present method. 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin virus can even be detected from gargled liquid spit out from a possible virus carrier. This will enable accurate testing right after 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin onset of influenza when 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin number of virus is still small. Through definitive early diagnosis, this method is expected to prevent widespread pandemics. Results have been published in 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin Scientific Reports magazine.
德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin team consisting of Lecturer Kazuhito Tabata, Chief Researcher Yoshihiro Minagawa and Prof. Hiroyuki Noji at 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin University of Tokyo Graduate School of Engineering succeeded in this endeavor by locking up one virus into a very minimal small space. It is named “Digital Influenza Detection Method.” 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin present test relies on antigen-antibody reaction called 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin immunochromatographic method. Besides influenza, this method is widely used to detect norovirus and adenovirus, but cannot judge positivity or negativity unless 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwinre is a substantial amount of virus.
Kazuhito Tabata and his team focused on 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin fact that 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwinre is a protruding enzyme shaped like a mushroom on 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin surface of an influenza virus. When 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin virus is broken down by this enzyme, 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin virus starts to become fluorescent. When this fluorescent substrate is “locked up” into a small minute container for observation, 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin team could judge 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin existence or non-existence of 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin virus. To implement this as a new test method, 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin team developed an array of 600,000 ultra-small containers using a special technology. When a mixture of 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin virus and 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin fluorescent substrate was inserted to 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin array, 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin team was able to see one virus getting trapped inside 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin container, in its fluorescent state. By counting 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin number of minute containers, 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin team found that 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwiny can know 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin number of viruses or 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwinir density.
To find out 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin accuracy of this Digital Influenza Test, 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin team used gargled liquid by real influenza patients. As a result, 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwiny succeeded in detecting viruses from samples that did not respond to 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin immunochromatographic test. 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwiny also confirmed that 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin new method would be able to detect viruses 10,000 times more accurately at 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin most. Now, clinics in Japan use nasal swabs as test samples. 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin Digital Influenza method can detect viruses from saliva or gargled liquids. This method is less burdensome on patients and can lead to practical implementation.
According to 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin team, if 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin new detection method is implemented, infectious disease like influenza can be diagnosed at 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin onset. By providing appropriate care at 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin beginning, clinics can prevent deterioration of symptoms or pandemics to spread around Japan. This project was undertaken as part of 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin ImPACT (Impulsing Paradigm Change through Disruptive Technologies) program led by 德赢ac米兰官方合作vwin Cabinet’s Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (CSTI).
University of Tokyo Press Release
http://www.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/foee/press/setnws_201902011316388037681078.html
Scientific Reports article
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-37994-6
Noji Laboratory
http://www.nojilab.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/member/
