Diagnosing Elusive Diseases
The concept first proposed by Dr. Kary Mullis, followed by almost two decades of work by teams of scientists at Cetus Corporation and Roche Diagnostics, has led to the first fully broad application of the technology now used in research, forensics, food, agriculture, and—most importantly—diagnostics and human healthcare.
PCR very quickly became an essential tool for improving human health in two critical areas—the diagnosis of infectious disease organisms and the detection of genetic variations and mutations. Because PCR can amplify minute amounts of DNA (one cell is enough), physicians and researchers can analyze a single sperm cell, or track down the source of a viral infection.
More than 60 PCR protocols for identifying different diseases have been described to date. Here are just a few infectious organisms that can now be detected using PCR:
- HIV-1
- Chlamydia
- Hepatitis C
- Hepatitis B
- Neisseria ghonorrhoeae
- Borrelia burgdorferi (the bacteria that causes Lyme disease)
- Helicobacter pylori (an organism that causes stomach ulcers)
- Mycobacterium tuberulosis
- HTLV
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV, the virus that causes venereal warts)
- Herpes Simplex Virus 1, 2
- Enteroviruses
- Cytomegalovirus
- SARS virus
- West Nile virus