CRISPR-Cas Systems as Rapid Nucleic Acid Detection Tools for Pathogen Diagnostics
This review surveys the emerging application of CRISPR-Cas proteins with collateral cleavage activity as sensitive, low-cost nucleic acid detection platforms for pathogen identification. Systems such as Cas12 and Cas13 enable isothermal amplification-free or amplification-coupled detection suitable for point-of-care deployment. The technology represents a potential paradigm shift for infectious disease diagnostics in resource-limited settings.
The original study
Pathogen detection in the CRISPR-Cas era.
- Authors
- Sashital DG
- Journal
- Genome medicine
- Type
- Journal Article, Review
- PMID
- 29690921
Original abstract
CRISPR-Cas systems have provided revolutionary tools for genome editing. The discovery of Cas proteins with alternative activities has now enabled sensitive and robust tools for detecting nucleic acids. Recent reports harnessing these new CRISPR-Cas technologies display their potential for providing low-cost and practical diagnostic tools for pathogen and disease detection.