来源：

科罗拉多州立大学

摘要：

    科学家们发现，使用环介导等温扩增法即LAMP可以轻松检测到人类和蚊子样本中是否携带寨卡病毒，这些样本来自美国、巴西和尼加拉瓜。                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

    为了防止寨卡病毒的大规模爆发，一些国家考虑使用强力杀虫剂，但是由于这种杀虫剂毒性太强，各地基本都是禁止使用的。但是，如果你能快速检测出蚊子是否携带寨卡病毒，那情况又会如何呢？这就可以避免使用有毒的杀虫剂，还能降低大规模喷洒杀虫剂的成本。

    5月3日，美国《科学－转化医学》杂志发表的一项新研究提出了上述设想的可能性。该文章的作者为来自科罗拉多州立大学（CSU），微生物、免疫和病理研究学院的助理教授乔尔·罗伍纳克（Joel Rovnak）、博士生努亚·克缇万（Nunya Chotiwan）和研究助理康妮·布鲁斯特（Connie Brewster）。

    这个研究团队将现有的技术通过新的方法进行操作：他们用一种生物监测的方法快速检测当地的蚊子种群是否携带寨卡病毒——进而帮助决策者做出决断，喷洒杀虫剂或使用其他疾病预防手段。

    环介导等温扩增法即LAMP是一种已得到应用的技术。研究团队发现应用这种技术可以轻松检测到人类和蚊子样本中是否携带寨卡病毒，这些样本来自美国、巴西和尼加拉瓜。                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

LAMP为病毒检测指明了方向

     LAMP技术是2001年由日本科学家提出的，科罗拉多州立大学的研究助理康妮·布鲁斯特在一项CSU奎肯布什实验室和科罗拉多公园与野生动物组织共同发起的项目中，一直使用该技术进行检测大角羊的肺炎患病情况。

    罗伍纳克表示，“LAMP技术可以让你摆脱精密仪器的束缚。”

    如果使用PCR（聚合酶链式反应）技术分析病毒，研究人员首先需要提取样本的RNA（核糖核酸）。但是使用LAMP，分析过程便会简便不少。

    使用LAMP的检测方法如下：研究人员先将蚊子压碎成液体。罗伍纳克表示，随后他会取两毫升水（大约针头大小的量），将挤压液和水放入试管中，加入一些化学物质或试剂并加热。慢慢的样本会变得浑浊，溶液颜色也会发生变化。在CSU的研究中，研究人员发现基本在30分钟内就能看到变化或信号，但有时也可能会需要等待长达一小时的时间。

    佩雷拉实验室的研究员克缇万表示，“使用LAMP检测寨卡病毒价格低廉，非常适合在发展中国家推广。”佩雷拉实验室是CSU节肢动物传播的传染病实验室的一个分支。

    她解释道，“目前大部分爆发寨卡病毒的国家都不富裕，因此格外需要我们研发低成本的监测手段，以方便未来在这些国家中使用。”

    罗伍纳克表示，据粗略估计，LAMP用到的一台加热设备或加热仪（据称是这个名字）仅花费250美元，甚至更少。而一台实时PCR设备的花费在15,000到25,000美元之间。

    克缇万表示，在研究中，科研小组的注意力放在检测来自亚非的寨卡病毒品系。寨卡病毒最初是于1947年在非洲乌干达发现的，而现在根据预测，病毒很有可能又被带回了非洲大陆。

    疾病预防和控制中心（CDC）近日报告了寨卡病毒在西非沿岸国家佛得角的传播情况。CDC还发布了寨卡病毒在非洲其他一些国家的传播情况。在美国，已有报告称在佛罗里达州和德克萨斯州发现了寨卡病毒的踪迹。

    根据罗伍纳克的采访，目前尚未有人弄清原始的寨卡病毒在非洲爆发的程度和范围。但目前辨别不同的病毒品系是一件非常重要的工作，因为在亚洲传播的病毒往往带来小头畸形病，这是一种新生儿因脑部发育不完善而造成的先天性疾病。

    布莱恩·弗伊（Brien Foy）是CSU节肢动物传播的传染病实验室的副教授，他发现寨卡病毒除了通过蚊蝇传播外，还可通过性传播。这两种传播途径可能会使病毒引起人们对公共卫生的更多恐惧。

    科学家们收集了来自巴西和来自尼亚加拉首都马那瓜一家儿童医院的样本，扩大LAMP检测寨卡病毒的早期检测效果和使用范围。他们还从CDC在科林斯堡的传染病研究中心获取了大量样本。

下一步工作包括临床检测

    为了进一步推进LAMP技术的研究，马那瓜儿童医院的临床医生将同时使用LAMP技术和目前更加精准的检测技术，并进行对比。CSU研究小组也将用来自波多黎各的蚊子和野生动物病毒样本来比较LAMP和PCR技术。这些样本来自美国农业部动植物卫生检验服务下设的一个项目。

    距离LAMP技术能被更广泛地应用还需多久？

    罗伍纳克表示，“就目前而言，LAMP应用还是遥遥无期。”

“应用LAMP技术对人类进行诊断是更具有挑战的一项工作，”他解释道。“在政府机构准许应用LAMP技术对医院中的病人进行检测之前，还需要花费大量的时间进行研究，也需要收集更多的数据。”