11
MOLECULAR LATERAL FLOW
DIAGNOSTICS: A NEW ERA FOR
POINT-OF-CARE TESTING
By Sekisui Diagnostics
If you’re like many physicians and Point of Care (POC)
laboratories, you may be dealing with suboptimal
performance from some of your current diagnostic
methods. For example, conventional Rapid Influenza
Diagnostics Tests (RIDTs) vary in terms of sensitivity and
specificity when compared with viral culture or reverse
transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
But the technology of point-of-care diagnostics is
changing.
One particular evolving technology is molecular
diagnostics, which detects specific sequences in DNA or
RNA that may (or may not) be associated with disease.
At present, there are molecular applications in infectious
4
diseases, oncology, pharmacogenomics, genetic disease
screening and coagulation, among others.
PCR: The Gold Standard,
but Not Feasible in POC
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has long been
considered a diagnostic gold standard due to the high
accuracy of the technology, which accounts for its use in
core or reference labs. It can detect disease with as few as
several copies of a gene. But due to complicated
workflows, complex procedures, cold chain storage, and
time & economic costs, PCR hasn’t been feasible in a
point-of-care setting.
www.PhysiciansOfficeResource.com