Key points
- Schistosomiasis, a disease caused by parasitic worms, affects more than 250 million people worldwide.
- Advanced molecular detection (AMD) methods reduce pathogen analysis time.
- New automated systems examine potential targets in hours rather than days.
Schistosomiasis: Global Health Challenge
Parasitic worms cause schistosomiasis, a disease that affects over 250 million people worldwide. The symptoms range from a mild rash to abdominal distress to extreme liver damage. Although effective treatments are available, diagnosing the disease has been a major challenge.
The process for testing for infections was slow and difficult. Manually analyzing genetic data created a significant obstacle in the analysis process. Disease control programs needed faster, more reliable ways to detect cases.
Innovation to create better tests
To detect Schistosoma haematobium, one of the main parasites causing schistosomiasis, CDC experts utilized AMD tools and methods. The scientists updated existing informatics software and created new analytics to quickly address the material. Those advanced analytics could automatically sort results based on key features of protein sequences.
Those innovations made the software capable of automatically filtering results based on specific characteristics of protein sequences. This breakthrough automation transformed what had been a laborious, manual process into a streamlined, efficient system. In addition, the increased speed dramatically accelerated the development of new diagnostic tests.
Complex data requires sophisticated analysis
Identifying viable targets for diagnostic test development is complex and time-consuming. Manual inspection of this data is prone to human error and inconsistency. Traditional testing methods involve processing hundreds of potential protein targets manually, making them unsustainable for faster testing.
Effective diagnostic tests require specific filtering criteria to identify promising targets and eliminate false positives. This rigor is essential for accurate results.
Automated systems needed to reliably replicate and improve on human expertise in protein sequence analysis. To create these advanced computational approaches, developers required a deep understanding of parasitic biology and diagnostic test requirements.
AMD system delivered transformative results
Shortened timeline
The new automated process enables teams to examine approximately 500 potential targets in just a few hours. That process previously required approximately 10 days of manual work. The enhanced timeline represents a dramatic improvement in efficiency, fundamentally changing the timeline for diagnostic testing.
Increased capacity
Enhanced analytics allow experts to examine significantly more parasite proteins in less time, broadening the scope of potential diagnostic targets. Increased capacity means scientists can focus more energy on developing and refining new diagnostic approaches.
Created broader applications
Researchers created new serological tests. These tests find antibodies in the body which reveal that a person has a disease. This method can work for other parasites too. It may help find cysticercosis, Chagas disease, and strongyloidiasis. These new tools could help doctors find diseases faster, worldwide.