Isothermal Nucleic Acid Amplification for Point-of-Care Primary Cervical Cancer Screening

Sep 22, 2026

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection represents a major global health challenge, particularly in relation to cervical cancer. Accurate and timely HPV detection is essential for prevention and effective clinical management. Conventional laboratory-based HPV testing can be limited by long turnaround times, restricted availability, and the need for trained personnel, especially in low-resource settings. This review summarizes recent point-of-care (POC) HPV testing advances using isothermal nucleic acid amplification, comparing diagnostic performance, sensitivity, specificity, and clinical utility against conventional assays. It highlights the potential impact on worldwide cervical cancer screening and the need for continued research, innovation, and collaboration to improve performance, accessibility, and affordability.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

REASSURED criteria for point-of-care diagnosis

HPV as the primary test in cervical cancer screening algorithms

Examples of existing POC HPV platforms

Review Isothermal Nucleic Acid Amplification for Point-of-Care Primary Cervical Cancer Screening Maryame Lamsisi 1, Abdelhamid Benlghazi 2, Jaouad Kouach 2, Abdelilah Laraqui 3, Moulay Mustapha Ennaji 4, Céline Chauleur 5,†, Thomas Bourlet 6,† and Guorong Li 7, *,† Citation: Lamsisi, M.; Benlghazi, A.; Kouach, J.; Laraqui, A.; Ennaji, M.M.; Chauleur, C.; Bourlet, T.; Li, G. Isothermal Nucleic Acid Amplification for Point-of-Care Primary Cervical Cancer Screening. Viruses 2024, 16, 1852. [https://](https://)[ ](https://)[doi.org/10.3390/v16121852](doi.org/10.3390/v16121852) Academic Editor: Massimiliano Galdiero Received: 30 September 2024 Revised: 19 November 2024 Accepted: 27 November 2024 Published: 28 November 2024 Copyright: © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[ ](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[4.0/](4.0/)) . 1 Biotechnology Unit, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca 20360, Morocco; maryame.lamsisi@pasteur.ma 2 Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Mohamed V Military Instruction Hospital of Rabat, Rabat 10045, Morocco; [benlghaziabdelhamid333@gmail.com](benlghaziabdelhamid333@gmail.com) (A.B.); [kouach_jaouad@yahoo.fr](kouach_jaouad@yahoo.fr) (J.K.) 3 Laboratory of Virology, Mohamed V Military Instruction Hospital of Rabat, Rabat 10045, Morocco; [loranjad@yahoo.fr](loranjad@yahoo.fr) 4 Laboratory of Virology, Oncology, Biosciences, Environment, and New Energies, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques Mohammedia, Mohammedia 20650, Morocco; [m.ennaji@yahoo.fr](m.ennaji@yahoo.fr) 5 Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, North Hospital, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Saint Etienne, 42055 Saint Etienne, France; [celine.chauleur@chu-st-etienne.fr](celine.chauleur@chu-st-etienne.fr) 6 Laboratory of Virology, North Hospital, CHU Saint Etienne, 42055 Saint Etienne, France; [thomas.bourlet@chu-st-etienne.fr](thomas.bourlet@chu-st-etienne.fr) 7 Department of Urology, North Hospital, CHU Saint Etienne, 42055 Saint Etienne, France * Correspondence: [guorong.li@chu-st-etienne.fr](guorong.li@chu-st-etienne.fr)[ ](guorong.li@chu-st-etienne.fr)† These authors contributed equally to this work. Abstract: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a significant global health concern linked to various cancers, particularly cervical cancer. Timely and accurate detection of HPV is crucial for effective management and prevention strategies. Traditional laboratory-based HPV testing methods often suffer from limitations such as long turnaround times, restricted accessibility, and the need for trained personnel, especially in resource-limited settings. Consequently, there is a growing demand for point-of-care (POC) HPV testing solutions that offer rapid, easy-to-use, and convenient screening at the primary care level. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancementsand emerging technologies utilized in POC HPV testing using isothermal amplification methods, in addition to evaluating their diagnostic performance, sensitivity, specificity, and clinical utility compared to conventional laboratory-based assays, particularly in low-resource settings, where access to centralized laboratory facilities is limited. We provide insights into the potential of isothermal nucleic acid amplification to revolutionize cervical cancer screening and prevention efforts worldwide, with emphasis on the need for continued research, innovation, and collaboration to optimize the performance, accessibility, and affordability of POC HPV testing solutions, ultimately contributing to the worldwide effort towards the elimination of this disease. Keywords: human papillomavirus; point-of-care; isothermal nucleic acid amplification; detection; cervical cancer screening

FAQs

Why is point-of-care (POC) HPV testing important for cervical cancer screening?

POC testing delivers rapid results at or near the care site, enabling timely decisions. It also addresses access barriers faced by patients in settings with limited laboratory infrastructure.

What problem do traditional laboratory-based HPV tests have?

They often involve long turnaround times, restricted accessibility, and require trained personnel. These limitations are especially significant in resource-limited environments.

What does the review focus on regarding isothermal nucleic acid amplification?

It provides an overview of recent POC HPV testing technologies using isothermal amplification and evaluates diagnostic performance, including sensitivity and specificity, compared with conventional laboratory assays.

Sep 22, 2026

Upload by Clementine