Premier medical institute in Kerala develops RNA extraction kit for COVID-19

The premier Sree Chitra

Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology here has developed an innovative technology to isolate RNA from swab samples and enhance the chances of identifyingCOVID-19 positive cases, days after it announced a cheaper and faster diagnostic test kit to confirm the disease.

The "Chitra Magna" kit uses mangentic nanoparticle to capture and concentrate the ribonucleic acid (RNA) from the patient's swab sample and the institute has filed for patent for this technology which is simpler than imported ones, it said.

Barring a few domestic manufacturers, the majority of RNA isolation kits are imported and its non-availability often becomes a severe bottleneck for RT-PCR (Reverse transcriptase- Polymerase chain reaction) testing in large numbers across the country, a release from the institute said.

 

The kit can be deployed for both PCR and Chitra Gene LAMP-N, the much cheaper and faster diagnostic kit developed by it recently, for tests to detect COVID-19 which has claimed over 700 deaths in the country.

Dr Anoop Thekkuveettil and his team, which came up with Chitra GeneLAMP-N, has developed Chitra Magna, SCTIMST, an Institution of National Importance under the Union Department of Science and Technology, said.

It said the SARS-COV-2, the causative virus of coronavirus pandemic, is a virus that uses RNA, a long single stranded polymeric substance present in all living cells and carries the genetic information of the organism necessary for life.

One of the critical steps in detectingthis virus is by confirming the presence of the RNA of the virus in the sample taken from the throat or nose.

In the lab, the RNA of SARS-CoV-2 is extracted, converted into DNA and amplified using the PCR technique or LAMP technique, the release said.

"Chitra Magna" would give a significant advantage in the extraction as even if some viral RNA disintegrates during storage and transportation of the samples, all of it is captured by the magnetic bead-based extraction technology.

The magnetic nanoparticle beads bind to the viral RNA and when exposed to a magnetic field, gives a highly purified and concentrated level of RNA.

As the yield of PCR or LAMP test is dependent on getting adequatequantity of viral RNA, this innovation enhances the chances of identifying positive cases, the release said.

'Chitra Magna' can be usedto extract high purity RNA from patient samples not only for LAMP testing, but also for RT-PCR test, the release said.

The technology of 'Chitra Magna' has been transferred to the Agappe Diagnostics Ltd at Kochi.

The company has already taken the Chitra GeneLamp for identification of the N gene of SARS-COV-2, a potential confirmatory test with accuracy matching RT-PCR in its initial validation at National Institute of Virology by the Indian Council of Medical Research.

The test kits are now being validated in larger test samples for ICMR approval, followed by commercial manufacturing license from authorities concerned.

Last week, the institute has announced it has developed the Chitra Gene LAMP-N test kit which is highly confirmatory for the diagnosis of COVID-19 using reverse transcriptase loop-mediated amplification of viral nucleic acid (RT-LAMP).

The test kit which is highly specific for SARS-CoV-2 N-gene can detect two regions of the gene which will ensure that the test does not fail even if one region of the viral gene undergoes mutation during its current spread, it had said adding the ICMR approval for it was awaited.