Paper-based analytical device for point-of-care nucleic acid quantification combining CRISPR/Cas12a and a personal glucose meter.

Although CRISPR-based nucleic acid detection has great potential in point-of-care testing due to its simplicity, it has been rarely integrated into paper-based analytical devices (PADs), which are attractive platforms to simplify assays. This work introduces a CRISPR-assisted nucleic acid quantification approach integrated into a PAD with signal readout by a personal glucose meter (PGM). Retention of magnetic beads by filter paper and pre-deposition of all required reagents by freeze-drying stabilized with trehalose enabled the indirect quantification of human papilloma virus (HPV) DNA through a PGM readout without complicated user intervention and complex reagent handling.

Basic evaluation of the CRISPR/Cas system stability for application to paper-based analytical devices.

Despite the promising features of the CRISPR/Cas system for application to point-of-care nucleic acid tests, there are only a few reports on its integration into paper-based analytical devices (PADs) for the purpose of assay simplification. In most cases, paper platforms have only been used for the final signal readout in an assay otherwise performed in a test tube. Therefore, there is very limited information on the suitability of the CRISPR/Cas system for on-device reagent storage.

[Usefulness of subarachnoid phenol-glycerin block therapy for enabling cancer patients with refractory anal pain to proceed to home-based care].

In recent years, the number of cancer patients and their families desiring palliative home-based care in Japan has increased. Subarachnoid phenol-glycerin block therapy is offered to relieve refractory anal pain in cancer patients, and to reduce the side effects of systemic administration of opioids, such as drowsiness. The effects of phenol-glycerin, which is a medicine used for neurodegenerative diseases, lasted for 1 week to 3 months.

[Usefulness of epidural catheter with distal subcutaneous reservoir for cancer pain control].

When an effective pain relief cannot be achieved by systemic administration of analgesics, neuraxial opioid therapy such as epidural (EPI) and subarachnoid (SA) catheters should be offered. During the period of 2004 to 2008, EPI (117 patients) and SA (1 patients) with an epidural catheter with subcutaneous reservoir also showed a significant improvement in their pain level calculated by numerical rating scale (NRS). Two cases of infection were caused by a subcutaneous reservoir, however, no serious infections, such as epidural abscess, were observed.