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Cell and Gene Therapy 2018 & Clinical Microbiology Congress 2018
Biomedical Research
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ISSN: 0976-1683
|
Volume 29
S e p t e m b e r 1 0 - 1 1 , 2 0 1 8 | D u b l i n , I r e l a n d
allied
academies
Joint Event on
CLINICAL AND MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY
CELL AND GENE THERAPY
&
World Congress on
International Conference on
James Mahony, Biomed Res 2018, Volume 29 | DOI: 10.4066/biomedicalresearch-C3-007
DEVELOPMENT OF A NOVEL HAND-HELD
POINT-OF-CARE TEST (POCT) DEVICE FOR
DIAGNOSING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
James Mahony
McMaster University, Canada
N
ucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) have become the cornerstone
of clinical laboratories providing a same day diagnosis for a wide
range of infections. Although polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has served
laboratories well, PCR has significant disadvantages as it is labor intensive,
requires a thermal cycler, and is relatively slow compared with newer
isothermal amplification methods. Isothermal amplification methods such
as loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) are rapid, have excellent
sensitivity and can provide results in 20 minutes, which is required for next
generation POC tests. Other requirements for next generation POC tests
include low cost and ease-of-use for resource poor settings including
developing countries. We have developed a hand-held next generation POCT
device that employs microfluidics, a novel isothermal amplification method
and on-plate nucleic acid detection to provide a rapid and visible test result
without the need for any instrumentation. This fully integrated, hand-held
POCT device performs pathogen lysis, specific pathogen target amplification
and detection providing a swab-in, result-out answer in 20 minutes. The
device can be used with a variety of clinical specimens including nasal, throat
and vaginal swabs. The isothermal amplification method employs cleavable
bivalent primers which provide excellent sensitivity with limit of detection of
100 copies and excellent specificity without primer-dimer amplification and
false positive results. The POCT device includes both a positive and negative
control channel and later versions will have up to 10 channels and the ability to
detect multiple infectious agents on a single swab using a single test device.
This low cost, one-time use, disposable test device is being manufactured for
use in resource-poor settings in both developed and developing countries to
provide a rapid test result for the detection of infectious agents in a range of
clinical settings providing physicians with a rapid, actionable result leading to
improved patient management.
James Mahony is currently working as a Professor
Emeritus in Pathology and Molecular Medicine at
University of Toronto, Canada. He is teaching within
the faculty of health sciences includes medical mi-
crobiology/infectious diseases and pathology resi-
dency training programs, graduate course in clinical
virology (MS763) and medical sciences. He complet-
ed his fellowship in Microbiology at American Acad-
emy of Microbiology as well as in Canadian College
of Microbiology. He has decorated his carrier with
several publication with local, international, industrial
collaboration with Drs Mark Loeb, Jenny Johnstone,
Marek Smieja, Peter Timms (Brisbane), Phil Hansbro
(Newcastle, Australia), Lee Ann Campbell (Seattle),
Theo Moraes (Toronto) and Luminex Molecular Di-
agnostics, Qiagen, Pro-L. The major focus area of his
research is the pathophysiology of acute respiratory
infections caused by specific viruses (influenza, RSV)
and bacteria (
Chlamydia pneumoniae, P aeruginosa
and C difficile
). One of the major focuses of his labo-
ratory is the development of new antimicrobial agents
for both respiratory viruses and bacteria. In addition to
the development of novel therapeutics the other focus
of his clinical research is in the areas of diagnostics.
mahonyj@mcmaster.caBIOGRAPHY