Although current HIV diagnostic methods have seen significant improvements, they still have several limitations that affect the effectiveness of early detection. Some techniques can only detect antibodies produced by the body to fight the virus, and this process usually takes nearly a month after infection. This creates a dangerous “window period,” during which a person may already be infected but still test negative. On the other hand, methods that can directly detect the HIV virus often require longer processing times, involve more complex procedures, and are more expensive compared to standard antibody-based tests.
To overcome these drawbacks, scientists from the Spanish National Research Council have developed an advanced biosensor made from silicon or graphene and integrated with gold nanoparticles. This device is designed to target p24, a specific antigen present on the HIV virus during the early stages of infection.
This new technology offers remarkable improvements over existing methods. In particular, it can detect the presence of the virus as early as about one week after infection, significantly shortening the detection time. Moreover, its sensitivity is much higher, allowing it to identify the virus at concentrations up to 100,000 times lower than the detection limits of current tests.
In addition to its speed and accuracy, the method also provides rapid results. Test outcomes can be obtained within approximately 5 hours after testing, which is considerably faster than many traditional techniques. With these outstanding advantages, graphene-based biosensor technology is expected to greatly improve HIV diagnosis, enabling earlier detection and more timely treatment, thereby enhancing overall public healthcare outcomes.
