HIV

Diagnostics For All is developing a nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) platform that can perform sample preparation, amplification, and detection in a disposable, self-contained, cartridge without any additional instrumentation. We propose adapting this platform to deliver a qualitative HIV early infant diagnosis (EID) test that can truly be used at the point-of-care, reducing the turnaround time from over a month to under an hour.

The Nanobiosym Gene-RADAR nanotechnology platform enables rapid, accurate, mobile, gold-standard viral load monitoring at the point-of-care at an affordable cost. In collaboration with Partners in Health in Rwanda, Nanobiosym will deliver, pilot, and evaluate Gene-RADAR, to provide early detection of HIV and demonstrate the eradication of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) through its mobile health applications. In combination with timely antiretroviral therapy (ART) this platform could save thousands of young Rwandan lives.

A simple and accurate instrument-free, low-cost Point-of-Care CD4 test that is applicable in poor, hard-to-reach settings could sustainably increase uptake of antiretroviral intervention and reduce loss to follow-up associated with centralized laboratory-based testing.

An HIV+ mother will often be reluctant to travel to a clinic the day or two after delivering her baby. She may feel too weak to travel to a clinic miles away or fear stigmatization after explaining why she must go to a clinic after delivering a healthy baby. This leaves millions of children at risk of becoming HIV+ during the birthing process. We have developed and tested in the laboratory a foilized, polyethylene pouch - something like a fast-food ketchup pouch - that can store the medication for months.

Harsha Thirumurthy of the University of North Carolina in the U.S. along with colleagues in Kenya will encourage individuals in sub-Saharan Africa to use self-testing HIV kits to screen their current and future sexual partners for HIV status. An oral test for HIV that can be performed by an individual at home has been approved in Kenya, reducing social and economic barriers of testing in a clinic.

Peter Gichangi of the International Centre for Reproductive Health Kenya in Kenya will develop a website for 10 - 24 year olds with HIV to help guide them safely through adolescence and improve adherence to treatment. This age group experiences unique physical and emotional stresses, and for those with HIV, adherence to treatment is relatively low.

Nicholas Sowden from Penda Health in Kenya will test whether offering free manicures to health center visitors increases the number of visitors and frequency of visits by low-income Kenyan women and their families. Kenyan women with a limited income still spend money on personal care including manicures and hairstyling. They hypothesize that coupling these desirable goods and services with preventative health services will motivate more women to attend medical centers.

Svetha Janumpalli from New Incentives in the U.S. will test whether conditional cash transfers and incentives can prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission in Nigeria. While preventative measures such as medication, and facilities exist to decrease the risk of mother-to-child HIV transmission, they are often not utilized by the most vulnerable women.

Joseph Kagaayi of the Rakai Health Sciences Program in Uganda will test whether giving a personalized HIV risk index to Ugandan males will encourage them to undergo safe male circumcision to prevent HIV infection. The multi-item risk index for HIV was developed from the general population of Rakai in Uganda, and will be straightforward for HIV counselors and clinicians to use. He will incorporate the index into a randomized controlled trial involving men aged 15-49 years who are undergoing HIV testing, and evaluate its effect on circumcision rates after 6 months.

Charlie Johnson of the University of Pennsylvania in the U.S. will develop a diagnostic platform that uses magnetic nanopore filters and a simple nucleic-acid detection system in an integrated miniaturized device to diagnose infectious diseases such as HIV from a variety of human samples. The diagnostic will consist of 15nm pores etched onto thin polycarbonate films that can trap individual viruses, label them with magnetic particles, and concentrate them with a magnetic field.