Enhancing diagnostic sensitivity: Investigating molecular mechanisms of Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Test (AgRDTs) variability across SARS-CoV-2 variants
The emergence of COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, led to the widespread use of antigen rapid diagnostic tests (AgRDTs) due to their speed, affordability and ease of use. However, the diagnostic sensitivity of AgRDTs has been inconsistent across emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, with some variants exhibit...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Pensoft Publishers
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | Research Ideas and Outcomes |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://riojournal.com/article/152094/download/pdf/ |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1839624846823129088 |
|---|---|
| author | Frank Twum Aboagye Mawutor Kwame Ahiabu Maame Ekua Acquah Queenstar Quarshie Naa Kumah Hannah Akahoho Nfayem Imoro Abena Enninful Bill Egyam Yvonne Ashong |
| author_facet | Frank Twum Aboagye Mawutor Kwame Ahiabu Maame Ekua Acquah Queenstar Quarshie Naa Kumah Hannah Akahoho Nfayem Imoro Abena Enninful Bill Egyam Yvonne Ashong |
| author_sort | Frank Twum Aboagye |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The emergence of COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, led to the widespread use of antigen rapid diagnostic tests (AgRDTs) due to their speed, affordability and ease of use. However, the diagnostic sensitivity of AgRDTs has been inconsistent across emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, with some variants exhibiting reduced detection rates. Thus, AgRDTs have been unreliable in detecting the different variants of SARS-CoV-2. This study explores the molecular mechanisms responsible for this variability, focusing on structural changes in the viral spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins and how these changes affect antigen-antibody interactions. Using structural biology techniques, such as X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy, molecular virology approaches like whole genome sequencing, immunoassays including ELISA and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and computational modelling tools for molecular dynamics simulations, this research will uncover specific mutations that impact diagnostic sensitivity. The results of this study will provide information for the development of next-generation AgRDTs with enhanced sensitivity across diverse viral variants, thereby supporting global efforts in pandemic surveillance and control. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cb4a0b4e692f4a64b64ce75c0ad6f6d6 |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2367-7163 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Pensoft Publishers |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Research Ideas and Outcomes |
| spelling | doaj-art-cb4a0b4e692f4a64b64ce75c0ad6f6d62025-07-18T07:31:47ZengPensoft PublishersResearch Ideas and Outcomes2367-71632025-07-011111810.3897/rio.11.e152094152094Enhancing diagnostic sensitivity: Investigating molecular mechanisms of Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Test (AgRDTs) variability across SARS-CoV-2 variantsFrank Twum Aboagye0Mawutor Kwame Ahiabu1Maame Ekua Acquah2Queenstar Quarshie3Naa Kumah4Hannah Akahoho5Nfayem Imoro6Abena Enninful7Bill Egyam8Yvonne Ashong9Biomedical and Public Health Research Unit, CSIR-Water Research InstituteThe Graduate School, Augusta UniversityWest African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of GhanaBiomedical and Public Health Research Unit, CSIR-Water Research InstituteBiomedical and Public Health Research Unit, CSIR-Water Research InstituteDepartment of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson UniversityBiomedical and Public Health Research Unit, CSIR-Water Research InstituteBiomedical and Public Health Research Unit, CSIR-Water Research InstituteRoche Product Ghana LimitedDepartment of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical ResearchThe emergence of COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, led to the widespread use of antigen rapid diagnostic tests (AgRDTs) due to their speed, affordability and ease of use. However, the diagnostic sensitivity of AgRDTs has been inconsistent across emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, with some variants exhibiting reduced detection rates. Thus, AgRDTs have been unreliable in detecting the different variants of SARS-CoV-2. This study explores the molecular mechanisms responsible for this variability, focusing on structural changes in the viral spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins and how these changes affect antigen-antibody interactions. Using structural biology techniques, such as X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy, molecular virology approaches like whole genome sequencing, immunoassays including ELISA and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and computational modelling tools for molecular dynamics simulations, this research will uncover specific mutations that impact diagnostic sensitivity. The results of this study will provide information for the development of next-generation AgRDTs with enhanced sensitivity across diverse viral variants, thereby supporting global efforts in pandemic surveillance and control.https://riojournal.com/article/152094/download/pdf/Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Tests (AgRDTs)SARS-CoV- |
| spellingShingle | Frank Twum Aboagye Mawutor Kwame Ahiabu Maame Ekua Acquah Queenstar Quarshie Naa Kumah Hannah Akahoho Nfayem Imoro Abena Enninful Bill Egyam Yvonne Ashong Enhancing diagnostic sensitivity: Investigating molecular mechanisms of Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Test (AgRDTs) variability across SARS-CoV-2 variants Research Ideas and Outcomes Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Tests (AgRDTs) SARS-CoV- |
| title | Enhancing diagnostic sensitivity: Investigating molecular mechanisms of Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Test (AgRDTs) variability across SARS-CoV-2 variants |
| title_full | Enhancing diagnostic sensitivity: Investigating molecular mechanisms of Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Test (AgRDTs) variability across SARS-CoV-2 variants |
| title_fullStr | Enhancing diagnostic sensitivity: Investigating molecular mechanisms of Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Test (AgRDTs) variability across SARS-CoV-2 variants |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enhancing diagnostic sensitivity: Investigating molecular mechanisms of Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Test (AgRDTs) variability across SARS-CoV-2 variants |
| title_short | Enhancing diagnostic sensitivity: Investigating molecular mechanisms of Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Test (AgRDTs) variability across SARS-CoV-2 variants |
| title_sort | enhancing diagnostic sensitivity investigating molecular mechanisms of antigen rapid diagnostic test agrdts variability across sars cov 2 variants |
| topic | Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Tests (AgRDTs) SARS-CoV- |
| url | https://riojournal.com/article/152094/download/pdf/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT franktwumaboagye enhancingdiagnosticsensitivityinvestigatingmolecularmechanismsofantigenrapiddiagnostictestagrdtsvariabilityacrosssarscov2variants AT mawutorkwameahiabu enhancingdiagnosticsensitivityinvestigatingmolecularmechanismsofantigenrapiddiagnostictestagrdtsvariabilityacrosssarscov2variants AT maameekuaacquah enhancingdiagnosticsensitivityinvestigatingmolecularmechanismsofantigenrapiddiagnostictestagrdtsvariabilityacrosssarscov2variants AT queenstarquarshie enhancingdiagnosticsensitivityinvestigatingmolecularmechanismsofantigenrapiddiagnostictestagrdtsvariabilityacrosssarscov2variants AT naakumah enhancingdiagnosticsensitivityinvestigatingmolecularmechanismsofantigenrapiddiagnostictestagrdtsvariabilityacrosssarscov2variants AT hannahakahoho enhancingdiagnosticsensitivityinvestigatingmolecularmechanismsofantigenrapiddiagnostictestagrdtsvariabilityacrosssarscov2variants AT nfayemimoro enhancingdiagnosticsensitivityinvestigatingmolecularmechanismsofantigenrapiddiagnostictestagrdtsvariabilityacrosssarscov2variants AT abenaenninful enhancingdiagnosticsensitivityinvestigatingmolecularmechanismsofantigenrapiddiagnostictestagrdtsvariabilityacrosssarscov2variants AT billegyam enhancingdiagnosticsensitivityinvestigatingmolecularmechanismsofantigenrapiddiagnostictestagrdtsvariabilityacrosssarscov2variants AT yvonneashong enhancingdiagnosticsensitivityinvestigatingmolecularmechanismsofantigenrapiddiagnostictestagrdtsvariabilityacrosssarscov2variants |