Thailand unveils urine HPV paperbased DNA sensor testing kits for cervical cancer

The Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University’s research team, in Thailand, has invented the urine HPV paper-based DNA sensor testing kits for cervical cancer that would allow a simpler and pain-free procedure that can be done frequently. The urine HPV paper-based DNA sensor testing kits are easier and much faster than the Pap Smear. It eliminates the need to insert a tool and hold the vaginal walls open. The less-than-500-Baht HPV Testing Kits are not for home use and must be administered by health centres and community hospitals. According to the researchers, urine samples are mixed in a solution, then dropped onto the paper sensor, so the colour change can be observed. The normal colour is bright red, and it gets lighter according to the amount of the virus detected. Urine has fewer DNA materials than tissues, so a smartphone colorimeter app amplifying the DNA level is used alongside to make colour change more visible. Test results show the test kit’s high accuracy with a sensitivity of 85 per cent, specificity of 78 per cent, and reproducibility rate of 100 per cent.