A new test developed by scientists at Northwestern University could make a big difference in the fight against hepatitis C.
This rapid test can detect the virus in just 15 minutes, which is much faster than current testing methods.
In fact, it works up to 75% faster than the other rapid hepatitis C tests available today.
This quick test is important because it allows patients to get their results and begin treatment during the same visit. Hepatitis C is fully curable with the right medication, but if left untreated, it can lead to serious problems like liver cancer and cirrhosis.
Globally, around 50 million people have chronic hepatitis C, and the disease causes about 242,000 deaths every year.
Getting same-day results means fewer delays, and fewer delays can save lives. The research, which will appear in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, shows how this new tool could help people start treatment sooner and avoid the complications that come from waiting too long.
The new test uses a method called polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, which looks for the virus’s genetic material in the blood. It was built using a platform called DASH® (Diagnostic Analyzer for Specific Hybridization).
This system was originally created at Northwestern to detect COVID-19 from nasal swabs, but it has now been adapted to check for hepatitis C in blood samples.
To make sure the test was accurate, scientists at Johns Hopkins University used it on 97 blood samples and compared the results to those from commercial tests. The DASH® system gave the same results every time, showing 100% agreement with the existing methods.
Dr. Claudia Hawkins, one of the study’s authors and a doctor at Northwestern’s Institute for Global Health, said this new test could help change how hepatitis C is treated around the world.
It could improve how fast people get diagnosed, make it easier to start treatment, and help more people get cured. Faster testing also means fewer people would be lost to follow-up care, which is a common problem when patients have to wait days or weeks for results.
Right now, most hepatitis C testing requires two steps. First, a patient gets an antibody test to see if they’ve ever been exposed to the virus. If the result is positive, the patient then needs a PCR test to confirm if the virus is still active in their body.
Usually, that second test has to be sent to a lab, and the patient has to come back another day for the results. This delay can discourage people from starting treatment.
While there is already one other approved point-of-care test for hepatitis C, it still takes 40 to 60 minutes. That’s longer than many doctor’s appointments, and it makes it harder to give patients immediate care. The new DASH® test, with its 15-minute turnaround, could change that.
Sally McFall, co-director of the Center for Innovation in Global Health Technologies at Northwestern, said this new test could support the World Health Organization’s goal of eliminating hepatitis C by 2030.
In summary, this fast, easy-to-use test could allow more people to get diagnosed and treated for hepatitis C without delay. If used widely, it may help save thousands of lives by making treatment faster and more accessible.
If you care about liver health, please read studies about a diet that can treat fatty liver disease and obesity, and coffee drinkers may halve their risk of liver cancer.
For more information about liver health, please see recent studies that anti-inflammatory diet could help prevent fatty liver disease, and results showing vitamin D could help prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
The study is published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.
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