Affiliations 

  • 1 Institute of Nano Electronic Engineering (INEE), Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Kangar, 01000 Perlis, Malaysia
  • 2 Institute of Nano Electronic Engineering (INEE), Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Kangar, 01000 Perlis, Malaysia. Electronic address: ruslinda@unimap.edu.my
  • 3 Center of Excellence for Research in AIDS (CERiA), Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Biosens Bioelectron, 2016 Apr 15;78:358-66.
PMID: 26655174 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2015.11.067

Abstract

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has infected almost 35 million people worldwide. Various tests have been developed to detect the presence of HIV during the early stages of the disease in order to reduce the risk of transmission to other humans. The HIV-1 Tat protein is one of the proteins present in HIV that are released abundantly approximately 2-4 weeks after infection. In this review, we have outlined various strategies for detecting the Tat protein, which helps transcribe the virus and enhances replication. Detection strategies presented include immunoassays, biosensors and gene expression, which utilize antibodies or aptamers as common probes to sense the presence of Tat. Alternatively, measuring the levels of gene transcription is a direct method of analysing the HIV gene to confirm the presence of Tat. By detection of the Tat protein, virus transmission can be detected in high-risk individuals in the early stages of the disease to reduce the risk of an HIV pandemic.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.