CHEWING GUM DIAGNOSTIC TEST FOR MALARIA

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Tracy Waweru BME 281 Seminar

• CHEWING GUM DIAGNOSTIC TEST FOR MALARIA

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How malaria works

• Malaria is caused by a parasite that is passed
  from one human to another by the bite of infected
  Anopheles mosquitoes.
• After infection, the parasites (called
  sporozoites) travel through the bloodstream to
  the liver, where they mature and release another
  form, the merozoites.
• The parasites enter the bloodstream and infect
  red blood cells.

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How malaria works continued

• The parasites multiply inside the red blood
  cells, which then break open within 48 to 72
  hours, infecting more red blood cells.
• The first symptoms usually occur 10 days to 4
  weeks after infection, though they can appear as
  early as 8 days or as long as a year after
  infection. The symptoms occur in cycles of 48 to
  72 hours.

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Main problems with malaria

• This disease is extremely widespread, especially
  in the tropics and subtropics places like Africa
  and Asia.
• There are approximately 300-500 million people
  with the virus in the world, while 2 million
  people die from it each year.
• Another impending issue developing is that most
  of the mosquitoes carrying the disease are
  developing resistance to the insecticides and
  antibiotics. This makes it very hard for the
  disease to be controlled.
• Many of the people in malaria infested areas
  develop an immunity to the disease, but it makes
  it very hard for visitors to travel to warm areas
  .

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Problem being solved by engineers

• Developing malaria diagnostic tests is a global
  health issue. The quickness of malaria makes a
  fast test essential.
• Currently, all malaria diagnostic tests,
  including existing rapid malaria tests, require a
  blood sample. The problem with these tests is
  that some can cause accidental infections and
  there are many communities that have blood taboos
  and believe that blood is sacred.
• Diagnosis by microscopes costs money to maintain
  facilities and train technicians, which can be
  hard in rural areas.
• Blood can also go bad being transported in warmer
  climates.

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MALIVA

• UCLA researcher Andrew Fung, and his research
  team have invented Maliva, which is a chewing gum
  that helps detect specific malaria antigens in
  saliva.
• The steps involved with using Maliva would
  include
• A person starts chewing on flavored piece
  of gum
• The flavor of the gum stimulates saliva
  production, which contains various antigens and
  molecules made by malaria parasites.
• The saliva would then enter the inner
  chambers of the gum where magnetic nanoparticles
  and polystyrene beads would be located.
• The salivas antigens and biomarkers would
  then latch onto the magnetic nanoparticles.
• After a few minutes of chewing, the gum is
  removed and put on a paper strip. The
  nanoparticles that are latched onto the malaria
  biomarkers and antigens, would show up as a thin
  line.
• No line, no malaria.

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ADVANTAGES

• Cost-effective, especially in poorer regions
  where people do not have much access to
  facilities and microscopic equipment.
• Less invasive than the process of taking blood
  samples.
• Diagnosis can be achieved within minutes
• Improved diagnosis accuracy prevents misuse of
  anti-malarial drugs and prevents development of
  drug resistance
• Can be self-administered
• Chewing gum is more attractive to people,
  especially children.

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FUTURE

• Since Maliva is just in its beginning phases,
  there has not been any testing done on whether
  the diagnostic test works.
• Andrew Fung and his research team hope to have a
  working prototype of Maliva by next year. They
  plan to begin field tests with the gum soon after
  that.
• Since more and more researchers are being drawn
  into the project, they are hoping that by being
  able to test for malaria faster, they will be
  able to control the disease a bit more.
• Maliva will help lead the way for a cure of
  malaria.

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Work Cited

• "Chewable Saliva Diagnostic for Malaria Antigens,
  Enabled by a Magnetic Immunoassay." Chewable
  Saliva Diagnostic for Malaria Antigens, Enabled
  by a Magnetic Immunoassay. N.p., n.d. Web. 28
  Oct. 2012. lthttp//www.research.ucla.edu/tech/ucla
  10-132.htmgt.
• Bl, Eric. "Chewing Gum Could Detect Malaria."
  Msnbc.com. Msnbc Digital Network, 16 Dec. 2009.
  Web. 28Oct.2012 .lthttp//www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3444
  6452/ns/health-oral_health/gt.
• "A Chewing Gum Diagnostic Test for Malaria." â?
  UCLA Engineering. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2012.
  lthttp//www.engineer.ucla.edu/newsroom/more-news/a
  rchive/2010/malaria-gumgt.
• "Mosquito Immune System Engineered to Block
  Malaria." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 11 Jan.
  2012. Web.28Oct.2012. lthttp//www.sciencedaily.com
  /releases/2012/01/120105111946.htmgt.
• Board, A.D.A.M. Editorial. Malaria. U.S. National
  Library of Medicine, 18 Nov. 0000. Web. 28 Oct.
  2012. lthttp//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PM
  H0001646/gt.