ICMR-NIV develops RT-LAMP technology for rapid diagnosis of Covid-19. All you need to know

While the importance of RT-LAMP in the detection of Sars-Cov-2 was highlighted last year, it has been in the process of being commercialised since then.

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, have jointly developed “sensitive and cost-effective” RT-LAMP technology for rapid diagnosis of coronavirus disease (Covid-19). According to ICMR, no other sophisticated instruments are required for the interpretation of results. The medical research body said that the technology has been transferred to two companies for the manufacturing of RT-LAMP kits.

ICMR said that the technology has been transferred to two companies for the manufacturing of RT-LAMP kits. (Reuters / Representational Image)

What is RT-LAMP technology?

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification, or LAMP, is an assay that can be used for viral RNA detection, and reverse-transcription LAMP, or RT-LAMP, allows for quicker analysis of genetic material than traditional PCR. RT-LAMP has been successfully used in the detection of the Sars-Cov-2, which helps fight the pandemic more effectively by detecting the virus quickly.

Covid-19 and RT-LAMP

After the World Health Organization (WHO) urgently demanded an extension of screening and testing last year, researchers from the University of Oxford applied RT-LAMP to detect Sars-Cov-2 in 30 minutes. The researchers used a colourimetric change to report the results, which enables people to read the outcome of viral RNA amplification by the naked eye without the need for an expensive or dedicated instrument.

They validated the method in a hospital in China, employing 16 clinic samples with 8 positives and 8 negatives. The Covid-19 test results were consistent with the conventional RT-PCR. The researchers also demonstrated how a one-step process without RNA extraction was feasible to achieve RNA amplification directly from a sample, paving way for a large screening at public domain and hospitals, particularly regional hospitals and medical centres in rural areas.

The speed, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness of RT-LAMP make it ideal for the diagnosis of Covid-19. While the importance of RT-LAMP in the detection of Sars-Cov-2 was highlighted last year, it has been in the process of being commercialised since then. ICMR-NIV’s RT-LAMP technology could prove significant in the fight against the pandemic as the third wave of Covid-19, according to the experts, is around the corner.