ArticleMicrobiology spectrum2026
Rapid, low-cost, and portable molecular detection of HIV-1 subtype B and HCV 1a directly from blood.
Article in Microbiology spectrum, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Accessible molecular diagnostics for human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) remain constrained by the cost and infrastructure requirements of existing molecular point-of-care platforms. In this study, we describe a portable, proof-of-concept molecular workflow with a total runtime of 32 min for the simultaneous qualitative detection of HIV-1 subtype B and HCV genotype 1a directly from contrived whole blood. The workflow employs a battery-powered heating device, ambient-stable reagents, and lateral-flow dipstick readout. Contrived whole blood samples were diluted twofold with nuclease-free water and added directly to rehydrated reverse-transcription loop-mediated amplification (RT-LAMP) reactions without nucleic acid extraction, and reaction parameters were systematically varied to determine lower limits of detection. Both viral targets were consistently detected at clinically relevant input levels following a 30 min isothermal amplification step, with visual lateral flow results available within 2 min. In addition, CRISPR-Cas12a detection was used as an orthogonal method to verify RT-LAMP target amplicons during assay development. Together, this work establishes the analytical feasibility of a rapid, low-cost, portable molecular workflow and provides a foundation for future development of decentralized HIV-1 and HCV molecular diagnostics.IMPORTANCEOngoing changes in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) epidemiology highlight the need for more adaptable and accessible diagnostic tools. In this study, we developed a fast, low-cost test that detects HIV-1 and HCV from a small blood sample. The test is designed to work outside traditional laboratories, using minimal equipment. It does not require complex sample preparation, refrigeration, or expensive machines, and produces results in about 30 min. The workflow combines a rapid genetic amplification method with an easy-to-read test strip and a small, battery-powered heater, making it portable and suitable for use in low-resource or remote settings. An additional molecular method was used during development to confirm that the test was accurately detecting the correct viral targets. By focusing on simplicity, speed, and affordability, this work aims to expand access to reliable HIV and HCV testing in settings where these infections often occur together and laboratory access is limited.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.