AU students design kit to detect latent HIV infection

Two PG students from Andhra University — Madhuri Vissapragada (M.Sc. Human Genetics) and Mythili AKella (M.Sc. Biotechnology) — designed a new diagnostic kit to detect latent HIV infections, under the supervision of Dr Ravikiran Yedidi, founder of TCABS-E Laboratories, incubating in the Zoology Department of Andhra University.

According to a press note, HIV primarily infects human CD4+ T-cells and destroys them during the viral replication which leads to the suppression of the human immune system. While the actively dividing HIV can be detected in blood by standard techniques such as-RT-PCR, ELISA, the inactive (latent) virus escapes because the genome of HIV is incorporated into the human genome. This latent virus gets reactivated in the future and repeats the infection cycle. That is why HIV infection is repeatedly seen even after taking medication.

Dr Ravikiran, who has more than 20 years of research experience in HIV/AIDS, said that currently there were no diagnostic kits available to detect the latent HIV. He suggested Madhuri and Mythili that the latest CRISPR/Cas9 technology should be used to design a diagnostic kit to detect latent HIV.

Accordingly, the new kit titled “CHIKIT-SA” (CRISPR-based HIV Diagnostic Kit and Sample Analysis) was developed. With the research collaboration, the kit was tested using patient samples at the King George Hospital. A patent application has been filed for this diagnostic kit.

According to Dr Ravikiran, they are currently writing a paper to publish their findings in international journals.

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This article is written by Senior Journalist Lakkoju Nagesh Babu