Real-time PCR Detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae with High Sensitivity and Specificity

Streptococcus pneumoniae em> is the leading cause of community-acquired pneumonia and is also a frequent cause of bloodstream, brain and spinal cord, ear, and sinus infections. According to 2015 CDC data, an estimated 900,000 Americans get pneumococcal pneumonia each year and approximately 5-7% die from it annually. Accurate diagnosis and early treatment are important for improving patient outcomes.Pneumonia is typically diagnosed by clinical examination, chest X-rays, and culture of patient blood and secretions. X-rays cannot identify the pathogen; blood cultures take several days to grow with limited reliability; and sputum and throat culture specimens collected may not contain isolates of the organism. CDC researchers developed a Taqman-based assay that uses real-time PCR to detect three specific gene regions of S. pneumoniae em> with a very low limit of detection of 10 copies, and has shown high sensitivity and specificity against a panel of 67 CDC isolates. Targeting multiple genes, this technology would perform well in a multiplex diagnostic testing application.IC: CDCNIH Ref. No.: E-288-2013-0Advantages: High throughputHigh sensitivity and specificityLow limit of detectionRapid, accurate, and cost-effectiveEasily adapted for use in kitsApplications: Diagnosis of respiratory disease from sterile clinical samples (e.g., serum, blood, CSF, pleural fluid) Surveillance of pneumococcal carriage from non-sterile samples (e.g., nasopharyngeal swab)Val...

Source: NIH OTT Licensing Opportunities - July 10, 2018 Category: Research Authors: ajoyprabhu3 Source Type: research