Researchers in the United States, in collaboration with the Maputo General Hospital in Mozambique, have developed a test to diagnose papillomavirus infection for less than five dollars and in 45 minutes. The advance, presented today in the journal Science Translational Medicine, can improve the prevention and early detection in developing countries of cervical cancer, which causes some 350,000 deaths each year in the world.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) screening, the pathogen responsible for practically all cervical cancers in the world, is one of the pillars of the World Health Organization (WHO) strategy to eradicate this tumor, together with with vaccination and early treatment of lesions. The goal for 2030 is for 70% of women to get screened at age 35, and again at age 45.
However, the tests available today are expensive, require technological facilities and specialized personnel, or take a long time to obtain results. These factors make it difficult to monitor and treat patients from developing countries, and they are what the new test seeks to reverse.
Scientists have developed a cheap and rapid test, the samples of which can be collected by the woman herself and which can be analyzed by local staff after “minimal” training, according to the authors. The first trial has been carried out with 30 patients from the USA and 55 from Mozambique.
The test separates, amplifies and detects the DNA of the virus through the action of enzymes, which saves costs by avoiding the need to go through a laboratory, and is carried out on a small platform that heats the sample and prevents its contamination. The test requires minimal equipment.
It is, for now, a prototype that the researchers plan to improve in the coming months, explains Rebecca Richards-Kortum, a bioengineer at Rice University in Houston (United States) and director of the research, in an email.
“Our team is working on improvements and planning an evaluation of the revised test for next year,” continues the expert.
For now, the test detects subtypes 16 and 18 of the papillomavirus, which cause 70% of cases of cervical cancer. It is planned to expand detection capacity to at least another six subtypes of the virus, which cause much of the remaining cases.
The authors of the research highlight that “the format and affordability” of their prototype can expand cervical cancer screening in developing countries, which they consider “a critical step in the goal of eliminating cervical cancer globally.” cervix”.
Early detection of a human papillomavirus infection is key to reducing the incidence of this type of tumor. “Women with persistent HPV infections can develop precancerous lesions on the cervix that progress to invasive cancer. Early detection and treatment, before invasion occurs, can prevent the development of cancer,” explains Richards-Kortum, who specializes in developing medical technologies for low-income countries.
Prevention is one of the fundamental pillars of the WHO strategy to reduce the impact of cervical cancer in the world. The organization’s goal is that by 2030, 90% of 15-year-old girls are vaccinated against papillomavirus, and that 70% of women undergo cervical cancer screening tests by the time they reach 35 years of age. and again at 45.
There are more than 100 subtypes of HPV, of which at least 14 cause cancer. Eight of them account for 90% of cervical tumors, and only subtypes 16 and 18 analyzed in this study cause 70% of cases.
