In the flow of molecular miniaturized fungal diagnosis

• Published in: Trends in biotechnology (Regular ed.) 2024-12, Vol.42 (12), p.1628-1643
• Main Authors: Zolotareva, Maria, Cascalheira, Francisco, Caneiras, Cátia, Bárbara, Cristina, Caetano, Diogo Miguel, Teixeira, Miguel Cacho
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Automation; Biology; Biosensing Techniques - methods; Biosensors; biotechnology; cost effectiveness; Cutting equipment; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Diagnosis; Diagnostic systems; DNA; Drug resistance; Efficiency; fungal infection; Fungal infections; Fungi; Fungi - classification; Fungi - genetics; Fungi - isolation & purification; Genetics; Humans; Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; Labeling; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques - instrumentation; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques - methods; Microfluidic devices; microfluidic technology; Microfluidics; molecular diagnosis; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques - methods; mycology; Mycoses - diagnosis; Mycoses - microbiology; Nucleotide sequence; Pathogens; point-of-care systems; species; Species diversity
• ISSN: 0167-7799; 1879-3096; 1879-3096
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2024.06.010

Worldwide, the current performance of fungal infection and especially drug-resistant fungal infection diagnosis is poor. Molecular DNA-based identification and characterization of fungal pathogens have emerged as fast and informative approaches.Some laboratory DNA technologies are amenable to miniaturization and portability. However, development of a sample-in–answer-out portable fungal diagnosis tool still faces several challenges, mainly resulting from the complexity of fungal biology.Several inexpensive proof-of-concept, portable diagnosis systems have been developed for viral, bacterial, and plasmodial infections. These serve as inspiration for the unaddressed needs in medical mycology.Recent developments in the miniaturization of cell capture, cell lysis, and DNA detection protocols bring cost-effective and widespread molecular fungal diagnosis closer to reality. The diagnosis of fungal infections presents several challenges and limitations, stemming from the similarities in symptomatology, diversity of underlying pathogenic species, complexity of fungal biology, and scarcity of rapid, affordable, and point-of-care approaches. In this review, we assess technological advances enabling the conversion of cutting-edge laboratory molecular diagnostic methods to cost-effective microfluidic devices. The most promising strategies toward the design of DNA sequence-based fungal diagnostic systems, capable of capturing and deciphering the highly informative DNA of the pathogen and adapted for resource-limited settings, are discussed, bridging fungal biology, molecular genetics, microfluidics, and biosensors. The diagnosis of fungal infections presents several challenges and limitations, stemming from the similarities in symptomatology, diversity of underlying pathogenic species, complexity of fungal biology, and scarcity of rapid, affordable, and point-of-care approaches. In this review, we assess technological advances enabling the conversion of cutting-edge laboratory molecular diagnostic methods to cost-effective microfluidic devices. The most promising strategies toward the design of DNA sequence-based fungal diagnostic systems, capable of capturing and deciphering the highly informative DNA of the pathogen and adapted for resource-limited settings, are discussed, bridging fungal biology, molecular genetics, microfluidics, and biosensors.