A Case for Using Genomics and a Bioinformatics Pipeline to Develop Sensitive and Species-Specific PCR-Based Diagnostics for Soil-Transmitted Helminths
The balance of expense and ease of use vs. specificity and sensitivity in diagnostic assays for helminth disease is an important consideration, with expense and ease often winning out in endemic areas where funds and sophisticated equipment may be scarce. In this review, we argue that molecular diag...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Genetics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fgene.2019.00883/full |
| _version_ | 1819206832209526784 |
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| author | Jessica R. Grant Nils Pilotte Nils Pilotte Steven A. Williams Steven A. Williams |
| author_facet | Jessica R. Grant Nils Pilotte Nils Pilotte Steven A. Williams Steven A. Williams |
| author_sort | Jessica R. Grant |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The balance of expense and ease of use vs. specificity and sensitivity in diagnostic assays for helminth disease is an important consideration, with expense and ease often winning out in endemic areas where funds and sophisticated equipment may be scarce. In this review, we argue that molecular diagnostics, specifically new assays that have been developed with the aid of next-generation sequence data and robust bioinformatic tools, more than make up for their expense with the benefit of a clear and precise assessment of the situation on the ground. Elimination efforts associated with the London Declaration and the World Health Organization (WHO) 2020 Roadmap have resulted in areas of low disease incidence and reduced infection burdens. An accurate assessment of infection levels is critical for determining where and when the programs can be successfully ended. Thus, more sensitive assays are needed in locations where elimination efforts are approaching a successful conclusion. Although microscopy or more general PCR targets have a role to play, they can mislead and cause study results to be confounded. Hyper-specific qPCR assays enable a more definitive assessment of the situation in the field, as well as of shifting dynamics and emerging diseases. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T05:13:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8c77054cb8d74b6498e93c1766f0bdea |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-8021 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T05:13:52Z |
| publishDate | 2019-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Genetics |
| spelling | doaj.art-8c77054cb8d74b6498e93c1766f0bdea2022-12-21T17:58:53ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Genetics1664-80212019-09-011010.3389/fgene.2019.00883468253A Case for Using Genomics and a Bioinformatics Pipeline to Develop Sensitive and Species-Specific PCR-Based Diagnostics for Soil-Transmitted HelminthsJessica R. Grant0Nils Pilotte1Nils Pilotte2Steven A. Williams3Steven A. Williams4Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA, United StatesDepartment of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA, United StatesMolecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, United StatesDepartment of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA, United StatesMolecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, United StatesThe balance of expense and ease of use vs. specificity and sensitivity in diagnostic assays for helminth disease is an important consideration, with expense and ease often winning out in endemic areas where funds and sophisticated equipment may be scarce. In this review, we argue that molecular diagnostics, specifically new assays that have been developed with the aid of next-generation sequence data and robust bioinformatic tools, more than make up for their expense with the benefit of a clear and precise assessment of the situation on the ground. Elimination efforts associated with the London Declaration and the World Health Organization (WHO) 2020 Roadmap have resulted in areas of low disease incidence and reduced infection burdens. An accurate assessment of infection levels is critical for determining where and when the programs can be successfully ended. Thus, more sensitive assays are needed in locations where elimination efforts are approaching a successful conclusion. Although microscopy or more general PCR targets have a role to play, they can mislead and cause study results to be confounded. Hyper-specific qPCR assays enable a more definitive assessment of the situation in the field, as well as of shifting dynamics and emerging diseases.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fgene.2019.00883/fullsoil-transmitted helminthmolecular diagnosticsDNA diagnosticspolymerase chain reaction (PCR)quantitative PCR |
| spellingShingle | Jessica R. Grant Nils Pilotte Nils Pilotte Steven A. Williams Steven A. Williams A Case for Using Genomics and a Bioinformatics Pipeline to Develop Sensitive and Species-Specific PCR-Based Diagnostics for Soil-Transmitted Helminths Frontiers in Genetics soil-transmitted helminth molecular diagnostics DNA diagnostics polymerase chain reaction (PCR) quantitative PCR |
| title | A Case for Using Genomics and a Bioinformatics Pipeline to Develop Sensitive and Species-Specific PCR-Based Diagnostics for Soil-Transmitted Helminths |
| title_full | A Case for Using Genomics and a Bioinformatics Pipeline to Develop Sensitive and Species-Specific PCR-Based Diagnostics for Soil-Transmitted Helminths |
| title_fullStr | A Case for Using Genomics and a Bioinformatics Pipeline to Develop Sensitive and Species-Specific PCR-Based Diagnostics for Soil-Transmitted Helminths |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Case for Using Genomics and a Bioinformatics Pipeline to Develop Sensitive and Species-Specific PCR-Based Diagnostics for Soil-Transmitted Helminths |
| title_short | A Case for Using Genomics and a Bioinformatics Pipeline to Develop Sensitive and Species-Specific PCR-Based Diagnostics for Soil-Transmitted Helminths |
| title_sort | case for using genomics and a bioinformatics pipeline to develop sensitive and species specific pcr based diagnostics for soil transmitted helminths |
| topic | soil-transmitted helminth molecular diagnostics DNA diagnostics polymerase chain reaction (PCR) quantitative PCR |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fgene.2019.00883/full |
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