Blood is smeared on a slide, stained, and examined under a microscope via light microscopy. This has long been the gold standard for diagnosis.
Since this necessitates resources and knowledge, quick antigen blood testing is increasingly taking its place. These are created to respond when a sample has a certain antigen, or protein, located on the surface of a disease.
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A problem with both methods is that they aren’t very sensitive.
What is a Non-Invasive Malaria Test?
This new non-invasive test for malaria uses Cytophane Technology .
The cytophone technology uses lasers at particular wavelengths that targets the blood vessels that are closer to the surface.
The parasites that cause malaria use the hemoglobin in red blood cells as a source of amino acid release when they invade those cells.The release of the iron-containing substance hemozoin is a consequence of this process.
Hemozoin absorbs more energy from lasers than hemoglobin, hence cells infected with malaria parasites absorb more energy from lasers than uninfected cells do.
Acoustic waves are produced as a result of the heat that is created when this absorbed energy is expanded. The cytophone technology uses a tiny ultrasound transducer applied to the skin to find these waves.
Peaks in the collected acoustic waves can be used to determine malaria infection after software processing.
Advantages of Cytophone Technology over Conventional Methods for Malaria Tests?
The use of cytophone technology can increase our ability to diagnose, treat, and understand malaria.
Both fast diagnostic tests and light microscopy can detect high parasite loads before a test is positive.
The cytophone technique should be significantly more sensitive since it has the capacity to examine a substantially bigger volume of blood.
Plasmodium falciparum is the locally dominant and most dangerous of the five species of protozoa that cause human malaria in Africa. It has been found that there are increasing numbers of parasite samples with deletions of that antigen. It has even been reported that some parasites no longer express this antigen in some places.
Since cytophone uses hemozoin, which all species of malaria parasites produce as part of their life cycle, as a marker, it would avoid this problem.
In addition to diagnostic difficulty, a long-term concern with treating malaria is that the parasites develop drug resistance. The technology’s emphasis on hemozoin may be helpful to scientists to create fresh antimalarial medications.
Prospects of Eliminating the Global Burden of Malaria
The burden of malaria has decreased over time, but it remains a significant public health concern in many parts of the world.
Efforts to eliminate malaria are ongoing, with the WHO aiming to reduce malaria incidence and mortality rates by at least 90% by 2030. This will require sustained investment in prevention and control measures.
Control measures include the use of insecticide-treated bed nets, indoor residual spraying, and antimalarial drugs.
In addition to these measures, the development of an effective vaccine would be a major breakthrough in the fight against malaria.
Overall, while progress has been made in reducing the burden of malaria, there is still much work to be done to eliminate this disease. Continued investment in new healthcare dimensions like cytopohone technology, will be crucial in achieving this goal.
Reference :
- New noninvasive technology tests for malaria without a blood sample – (https:www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/997130)
Source: Medindia
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