Potential of the CRISPR-Cas system for improved parasite diagnosis CRISPR-Cas mediated diagnosis in parasitic infections

CRISPR-Cas technology accelerates development of fast, accurate, and portable diagnostic tools, typified by recent applications in COVID-19 diagnosis. Parasitic helminths cause devastating diseases afflicting 1.5 billion people globally, representing a significant public health and economic burden, especially in developing countries. Currently available diagnostic tests for worm infection are neither sufficiently sensitive nor field-friendly for use in low-endemic or resource-poor settings, leading to underestimation of true prevalence rates. Mass drug administration programs are unsustainable long-term, and diagnostic tools - required to be rapid, specific, sensitive, cost-effective, and user-friendly without specialized equipment and expertise - are urgently needed for rapid mapping of helminthic diseases and monitoring control programs. We describe the key features of the CRISPR-Cas12/13 system and emphasise its potential for the development of effective tools for the diagnosis of parasitic and other neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), a key recommendation of the NTDs 2021-2030 roadmap released by the World Health Organization.

Automated summary

CRISPR-Cas technology has accelerated the development of fast, accurate, and portable diagnostic tools, as demonstrated by its recent applications in COVID-19 diagnosis. The current diagnostic tests for worm infection are not sensitive enough and not suitable for use in low-endemic or resource-poor settings. Therefore, there is an urgent need for rapid, specific, sensitive, cost-effective, user-friendly diagnostic tools that do not require specialized equipment and expertise for the mapping and monitoring of helminthic diseases.