A POSTAGE stamp-sized piece of paper could provide developing nations with a cheap and easy way to test liver health.
Some drugs used to treat HIV and tuberculosis can be toxic to the liver, so regular tests are needed to ensure no damage is occurring. These involve testing blood for the levels of two enzymes, ALT and AST, which are released when liver cells are damaged. In developing nations, however, access to blood tests can be limited due to logistics and expense, says Nira Pollock at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
To solve the problem, Pollock, Jason Rolland at Massachusetts-based non-profit enterprise Diagnostics for All and colleagues have created a 2-centimetre square of paper that filters a drop of blood into five zones, each containing a different dye. The dyes change colour depending on the levels of AST and ALT in the blood (Science Translational Medicine, doi.org/jdf).
The test, which provides results in just 15 minutes and is expected to cost under 10 cents to produce, is currently undergoing trials in Vietnam.
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