The fast way to fight the flu
What is the best way to fight influenza? Quickly, say health experts. Enter the EU-funded PORTFASTFLU ('Portable automated test for fast detection and surveillance of influenza') project, which targets the development and validation of a rapid diagnostic test for influenza. Supported under the Health Theme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) with almost EUR 3 million, PORTFASTFLU will use this diagnostic test as point-of-care (POC) systems in developed and developing countries. There is global consensus that rapid detection of influenza is crucial if human health is to be protected. According to the PORTFASTFLU partners, nucleic acid analysis is the most suitable assay scheme for both early detection and late surveillance of influenza. The virology reference laboratories of the World Health Organization (WHO) and World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) both use nucleic acid analysis. The PORTFASTFLU partners say their innovative system will enable practitioners to conduct rapid automated detection and subtyping of influenza viruses in both clinical and field samples. What makes the system work is the identification of the influenza virus genes of the patient. 'Our approach is based on the integration of a Lab on Chip (LOC) consumable cartridge for automated extraction and amplification of the RNA [ribonucleic acid] of the virus (carrying its genetic information), followed by hybridisation and real-time detection of a microarray, in a single portable and easy-to-use machine called the integrated diagnostics platform (IDP),' the partners note. The POC instrument will integrate sample preparation, nucleic acid amplification, microarray hybridisation and fluorescent readout in a single system, the nine-member PORTFASTFLU consortium says. Coordinated by Genewave, a France-based developer, manufacturer and marketing company of state-of-the-art microarray instrumentation for diagnostics and clinical research, PORTFASTFLU successfully designed and validated all PCR primers and microarray probes in the first two years of its activity. The project also demonstrated breadboard chip RNA extraction, amplification and microarray hybridisation of the Influenza A matrix gene. Concerning the H1N1v virus, the project partners point out they quickly demonstrated that PORTFASTFLU-designed primers and probes with the capacity to amplify and detect H1N1 viruses allowed detection and subtyping of the new swine-derived H1N1v virus. They also developed primers and probes that facilitate discrimination between seasonal and pandemic H1N1 virus isolates. Launched in 2008 and due to be completed in December 2010, PORTFASTFLU brings together researchers and industry actors from Belgium, Ireland, Spain, France and the UK. The partners say they will finalise the integration of the different building blocks in a fully automatic integrated machine and will validate the influenza diagnostics performance in human and animal samples by year-end.
