CSIR-IGIB team adapts FELUDA CRISPR test to detect H. pylori and its clarithromycin-resistance mutations
Researchers at CSIR-IGIB have shown that the FELUDA CRISPR test can detect Helicobacter pylori and its antibiotic-resistance mutations at low cost, the Ministry of Science and Technology said on 27 December 2024.
Summary
FELUDA, the CRISPR-based paper-strip test, can be developed as a low-cost point-of-care service to detect Helicobacter pylori and its mutations in dyspeptic patients in rural areas, according to a Ministry of Science and Technology release of 27 December 2024. H. pylori infects over 43% of the world's population and causes peptic ulcers, gastritis, dyspepsia and even gastric cancer. Resistance to the antibiotic clarithromycin arises mainly from point mutations in the bacterium's 23S ribosomal RNA gene. Dr Shraddha Chakraborty, now a DST INSPIRE Faculty Fellow at IIT Delhi, and colleagues at CSIR-IGIB used an engineered Cas9 protein, en31-FnCas9, to detect the bacterium and its 23S rDNA mutation status in gastric biopsy samples. The clinical arm involved AIIMS New Delhi and AIIMS Bhubaneswar, and the study was published in the Microchemical Journal.
Key facts
- Test
- FELUDA lateral-flow (paper-strip) CRISPR assay
- Target
- Helicobacter pylori and its 23S rDNA mutations
- Resistance detected
- Clarithromycin (point mutations in 23S rRNA gene)
- Enzyme
- en31-FnCas9, engineered Cas9 resembling Francisella novicida Cas9
- Institutions
- CSIR-IGIB; clinical arm at AIIMS New Delhi and AIIMS Bhubaneswar
- Global burden
- H. pylori affects over 43% of the world's population
- Published in
- Microchemical Journal
Practice MCQs 3 questions
The FELUDA-based point-of-care test highlighted by the Ministry of Science and Technology on 27 December 2024 detects which bacterium?
Show answer
Correct answer: B — Helicobacter pylori
PIB (Science and Technology): researchers developed FELUDA as a point-of-care test to detect Helicobacter pylori and its mutations in dyspeptic patients.
Resistance of H. pylori to which antibiotic, primarily due to point mutations in its 23S ribosomal RNA gene, can be identified by the FELUDA test reported in December 2024?
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Correct answer: C — Clarithromycin
PIB (Science and Technology): resistance to clarithromycin is primarily attributed to point mutations in the 23S ribosomal RNA coding gene of H. pylori, and en31-FnCas9 identified the 23S rDNA mutation status in biopsy samples.
Which CSIR laboratory's researchers developed the FELUDA-based H. pylori test reported in December 2024?
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Correct answer: D — CSIR-IGIB
PIB (Science and Technology): Dr Shraddha Chakraborty and colleagues at CSIR-IGIB used en31-FnCas9 in the FELUDA test for H. pylori.