Recent Advances in Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment of Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus

Table 1

Comparison of RSV detection techniques.

Technique	Reference	Principle	Advantages	Drawbacks	Current usage status
(A) Fluorescence based methods
(1) DFA	[24, 25]	Microscopic detection of RSV with specific antibody conjugated with fluorophore.	Easy procedure	Human error, fading of dyes	Research intent, Hospital based procedure, commercial diagnostic assays
(2) QDs	[26–31]	Detection of signals from fluorescent nanoparticles upon encounter with RSV either through microscopy or flow cytometry	Photostable, inorganic in nature, resistant to metabolic degradation	Toxicity, insolubility	Research intent
(3) Molecular beacon based imaging	[32, 33]	Hairpin DNA functionalized gold nanoparticle with fluorophore hybridization with target mRNA	Live cell imaging with real-time detection	Probable gene silencing, metabolic degradation	Research intent
(B) Immunoassays
(1) ELISA	[34, 35]	Specific binding and colorimetric detection of antigen-antibody complex	Easy protocol, high specificity and sensitivity	Cumbersome, prone to human errors	Hospital based procedure, commercial diagnostic assays
(2) OIA	[36–38]	Presence of specific antigen-antibody complex formed alters the reflective surfaces properties which is visually detected	Easy, rapid, specificity, cost effective	Needs confirmation by other tests for negative samples	Research intent, not commercialized
(3) LFIA	[39–42]	Immuno-complexes detected chromatographically	Easy, rapid, handy, cost effective, FDA approved	Nonquantitative, limit of sample volume limits detection	Hospital based procedure, commercial diagnostic assays
(C) Molecular methods
(1) LAMP	[41, 43–45]	Colorimetric/turbidimetric detection of isothermal amplification of DNA using specific primer	Sensitivity and specificity	Semiquantitative, designing compatible primer set	Research intent, not commercialized
(2) PCR	[46, 47]	Amplification of viral cDNA and visualization of PCR product	Rapid and sensitive than conventional culture methods	High limits of detection	Research intent, hospital based procedure
(3) Real-Time PCR	[48–53]	Real-time amplification of target DNA or cDNA	Rapid (3–5 hours), highly sensitive and very low limits of detection	Expensive	Research intent, hospital based procedure, commercial assay
(4) Multiplex PCR	[54–57]	Use of multiple primer and/or probe sets	Simultaneous detection of multiple pathogenic species or strains	Less sensitive	Research intent, hospital based procedure
(5) Immuno-PCR	[58, 59]	A combination of immunoassay and real-time PCR	Very low limits of detection, improved limits of detection over individual ELISA, and PCR (4000 and 4 fold. respectively)	Complex experimental design	Research intent, not commercialized
(6) Microarray	[60–74]	Hybridization of sample biomolecules to immobilized target DNA or protein on a chip	Highly sensitive, large scale identification of multiple pathogens; protein and nucleic acid targets	Cost-ineffective	Research intent, hospital based procedure, commercial assay
(D) Biophysical method
(1) PCR-ESI-MS	[75, 76]	Mass spectroscopy of PCR-amplicons through electron spray dispersion	Highly sensitive and specific even at strain level and efficient multiple pathogens detection.	Expensive	Research intent, not commercialized
(2) SERS	[77–84]	Inelastic scattering of monochromatic radiation upon interaction with an analyte with low-frequency vibrational and/or rotational energy	Rapid and nondestructive detection of analytes with high sensitivity	Sample preparation	Research intent, not commercialized