A London Effort to Develop Point-of-Care Nanosensors for HIV Diagnosis and Monitoring
Summary posted by Meridian on 4/6/2009
Source: Science Centric
Author: n/a
The London Centre for Nanotechnology has received a US$2.98 million grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to develop a new device that will enable people living with HIV to monitor their own health and effectiveness of their treatments. The machine will be similar to how diabetics check their insulin levels, and will use tiny mechanical sensors, called nano-cantilever arrays, to measure HIV and other protein markers that can indicate changes in the level of the virus and the body's response to it. Patients will be able to monitor their conditions themselves, reducing doctor visits. The London Centre for Nanotechnology also expects the device to be helpful to doctors in developing countries who urgently need rapid and affordable ways to diagnose and monitor their patients. Dr. Anna-Maria Goretti, a co-investigator of the project, says "...if patients neglect to take their treatments or need prompting to see their GP [general practitioner] the device will provide a simple way of letting them know. It will really empower HIV patients to keep a close eye on their health and their treatments." The project will be carried out over the next three years, with additional funding expected. The article says that worldwide there are 35 million people living with HIV, two-thirds of them in sub-Saharan Africa. The article can be viewed online at the link below.
The original article may still be available at www.sciencecentric.com/news/article.php?q=09040609-a-london-effort-deve...
As tagged by Meridian Institute:
Health And Medical:
Diagnostics, Diseases
Implications:
Human Enhancement, Governance
Nanomaterials:
Metal Nanoparticle
Regions:
North America, South America, Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, East and South Asia and the Pacific, Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA)
Stakeholders:
Government, NGO, Academia, International Institutions
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