Reagent Recognizes Enterovirus Sequences

A real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) reagent has been designed to recognize enterovirus sequences. Prevalent in the summer and fall, enterovirus infections cause a wide spectrum of diseases, and are the most common cause of aseptic meningitis.

Nanogen released the MGB (minor groove binder) Alert ENV real-time PCR enterovirus reagent, which was developed using newly patented hybridization technology. "According to the [U.S.] Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, enteroviruses cause an estimated 10 to 15 million symptomatic cases a year in the United States,” said Howard C. Birndorf, Nanogen chairman and chief executive officer. "Detection of viral infections by real-time PCR is typically faster, more sensitive, and more specific than through other methods and should help reduce the healthcare costs associated with enteroviral infections.” Aseptic meningitis cases account for tens of thousands of hospitalizations every year.

The patented chemistry employed in most of the company's analyte-specific reagents (ASRs) and research products enables laboratories to develop multiple assays with universal parameters, which increases the efficiency and throughput of clinical testing. The super bases (Super A, Super T, Super G, and Super N) and MGB technology allow the use of shorter probes with increased sensitivity to mismatches, which have proved essential for detecting short conserved sequences of enteroviruses as well as other pathogens.

Nanogen's technologies provide researchers, clinicians, and physicians worldwide with methods and tools to predict, diagnose, and ultimately help treat disease. The company's products include real-time PCR reagents, the NanoChip electronic microarray platform, and a line of rapid, point-of-care diagnostic tests.



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