With the project carried out by Ege University academicians, a rapid test will be developed for the diagnosis of the microorganism “Pneumocystis jirovecii”, which causes serious pneumonia (pneumonia), especially in patients with low immunity. The project “Development of a rapid colorimetric LAMP test for the diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii”, developed for the diagnosis of the microorganism, which causes serious health problems especially in immunocompromised individuals such as organ transplant patients, patients undergoing cancer treatment and HIV patients, and carried out by Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Parasitology Faculty Member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aysu Değirmenci Döşkaya, was deemed eligible for support by the Presidency of the Turkish Institutes of Health (TÜSEB).
Ege University Rector Prof. Dr. Necdet Budak congratulated the project team and said, “As Ege University, we continue to stand out with our studies especially in the field of health. The test that will emerge as a result of the project developed by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aysu Değirmenci Döşkaya and her team will play an important role in the early diagnosis of microorganisms that pose a danger to patients with low immunity. I congratulate our professor and her team and wish them continued success.”
“Both easy to implement and low cost”
Explaining the purpose of the project, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aysu Değirmenci Döşkaya said, “Since P. jirovecii cannot be routinely cultured in respiratory system samples, different methods such as smear preparation staining methods, immunofluorescent staining techniques and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are used to diagnose the disease agent. However, since PCR tests used for definitive diagnosis are expensive and require advanced laboratory equipment and experienced personnel, there is a need for highly sensitive, easily applicable and cost-effective diagnostic tests that can be used in the diagnosis of the disease. For this reason, Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) test with high sensitivity and specificity values can be used to detect pathogens. In this test, which does not require the temperature variations required in other molecular tests, the reaction can be evaluated by colorimetric approaches (color change). Since it can be easily applied in field conditions and simple laboratories, it has become a preferred diagnostic approach. In this project, it is aimed to develop a highly sensitive and innovative 'Rapid-PcP-Colorimetric LAMP' test for the diagnosis of PcP in respiratory system samples.”
Prof. Dr. A. Yüksel Gürüz, Prof. Dr. Cemal Ün, Prof. Dr. Mert Döşkaya, Assoc. Dr. Hüseyin Can, Assoc. Dr. Muhammet Karakavuk, PhD student Tuğba Karakavuk, and graduate students Ceren Gül and İrem Yavuz are among the project team led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aysu Değirmenci Döşkaya, who is also among the researchers of Ege University Vaccine Development Application and Research Center and faculty members of EÜ Institute of Health Sciences Vaccine Studies Department.
