A photocontrolled one-pot isothermal amplification and CRISPR-Cas12a assay for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants.

CRISPR-Cas technology has widely been applied to detect single-nucleotide mutation and is considered as the next generation of molecular diagnostics. We previously reported the combination of nucleic acid amplification (NAA) and CRISPR-Cas12a system to distinguish major severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants. However, the mixture of NAA and CRISPR-Cas12a reagents in one tube could interfere with the efficiency of NAA and CRISPR-Cas12a cleavage, which in turn affects the detection sensitivity.

Identification and characterization of mixed infections of high-throughput sequencing.

Precise genotyping is necessary to understand epidemiology and clinical manifestations of infection with different genotypes. Next-generation high-throughput sequencing (NGHTS) has opened new frontiers in microbial genotyping, but has been clinically characterized in only a few settings. This study aimed to determine genotypes in particular mixed-genotype infections and their association with clinical manifestations and to characterize the sensitivity and accuracy of NGHTS.

Combination of Isothermal Recombinase-Aided Amplification and CRISPR-Cas12a-Mediated Assay for Rapid Detection of Major Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Variants of Concern.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 variants is a new and unsolved threat; therefore, it is an urgent and unmet need to develop a simple and rapid method for detecting and tracking SARS-CoV-2 variants. The spike gene of SARS-CoV-2 was amplified by isothermal recombinase-aided amplification (RAA) followed by the cleavage of CRISPR-Cas12a in which five allele-specific crRNAs and two Omicron-specific crRNAs were designed to detect and distinguish major SARS-CoV-2 variants of concerns (VOCs), including alpha, beta, delta variants, and Omicron sublineages BA.1 and BA.

Detection of Major SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern in Clinical Samples via CRISPR-Cas12a-Mediated Mutation-Specific Assay.

: Emerging severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants pose a great threat and burden to global public health. Here, we evaluated a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat-associated enzyme 12a (CRISPR-Cas12a)-based method for detecting major SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) in SARS-CoV-2 positive clinical samples. : Allele-specific CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs) targeting the signature mutations in the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 are designed.

Influence of Combination Antiretroviral Therapy on HIV-1 Serological Responses and Their Implications: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

We aimed to analyze HIV-1 seroreversion caused by combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) and to explore antibody levels of anti-HIV-1 as an alternative biomarker of HIV-1 reservoir. We searched PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science up to August 2021 for publications about the performance of HIV-1 serological assays or the association between antibody responses against HIV-1 and HIV-1 reservoirs. Potential sources of heterogeneity were explored by meta-regression analysis, including the year of publication, country, pretreatment viral load, sample size, the timing of treatment, time on cART, and principle or type of serological assay.

Rapid detection and tracking of Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 using CRISPR-Cas12a-based assay.

Background: The newly emerged SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern (VOC) Omicron is spreading quickly worldwide, which manifests an urgent need of simple and rapid assay to detect and diagnose Omicron infection and track its spread.

Methods: To design allele-specific CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs) targeting the signature mutations in the spike protein of Omicron variant, and to develop a CRISPR-Cas12a-based assay to specifically detect Omicron variant.

Results: Our system showed a low limit of detection of 2 copies per reaction for the plasmid DNA of Omicron variant, and could readily detect Omicron variant in 5 laboratory-confirmed clinical samples and distinguish them from 57 SARS-CoV-2 positive clinical samples (4 virus isolates and 53 oropharyngeal swab specimens) infected with wild-type (N = 8) and the variants of Alpha (N = 17), Beta (N = 17) and Delta (N = 15).

CRISPR-Cas12a-Based Detection for the Major SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern.

A big challenge for the control of COVID-19 pandemic is the emergence of variants of concern (VOCs) or variants of interest (VOIs) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which may be more transmissible and/or more virulent and could escape immunity obtained through infection or vaccination. A simple and rapid test for SARS-CoV-2 variants is an unmet need and is of great public health importance. In this study, we designed and analytically validated a CRISPR-Cas12a system for direct detection of SARS-CoV-2 VOCs.

Seroepidemiology of Infection in the General Population of Northern China: The Jidong Community Cohort Study.

A longitudinal serological study to investigate the seropositive frequency, incidence, and antibody dynamics of infection in the general population of China is urgently needed in order to optimize the strategies for surveillance and precise prevention of infection. This longitudinal study enrolled 744 subjects aged 18-65 years from Jidong Community of Northern China from 2014 to 2018. Seropositive frequency, incidence, and reinfection of were determined by detecting antibody against Pgp3 using "in-house" luciferase immunosorbent assay (LISA).

A point-of-care rapid HIV-1 test using an isothermal recombinase-aided amplification and CRISPR Cas12a-mediated detection.

Human immunodeficiency virus type one (HIV-1) infection is one of the major public health problems worldwide. Effective control of HIV-1 epidemic relies on early diagnosis of HIV-1 infection by using simple, rapid point-of-care test (POCT). An integrated assay was developed and evaluated in this study to combine a real-time isothermal reverse-transcription recombinase-aided amplification (rRT-RAA) and CRISPR Cas12a-mediated detection for HIV-1.

Phase solubility diagrams and energy surface calculations support the solubility enhancement with low hygroscopicity of Bergenin: 4-Aminobenzamide (1: 1) cocrystal.

Herein, we reported a new bergenin: 4-aminobenzamide (BGN-4AM) cocrystal with significantly enhanced solubility and low hygroscopicity probed from two aspects such as phase solubility diagrams and theoretical calculations. Compared with anhydrous BGN, BGN-4AM solubilities in water and different buffer solutions (pH = 1.2, 4.

Prenatal exposure to maternal smoking during pregnancy and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in offspring: A meta-analysis.

Some large population-based cohort studies highlighted the risk of maternal smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) for children attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the causality of this association is still controversial. Here we performed a meta-analysis trying to clarify the association between prenatal exposure to MSDP and ADHD in offspring.