Rapid and simple detection of Tamiflu-resistant influenza virus: Development of oseltamivir derivative-based lateral flow biosensor for point-of-care (POC) diagnostics.

We have developed a novel oseltamivir derivative (oseltamivir hexylthiol; OHT) that exhibits a higher binding affinity for Tamiflu-resistant virus (Tamiflu resistance) than for the wild-type virus (Tamiflu-susceptible virus; WT) as an antibody. First, OHT-modified gold nanoparticles (OHT-GNPs) are used in a simple colorimetric assay as nanoprobes for the Tamiflu-resistant virus. In the presence of Tamiflu-resistant virus, they show a colorimetric change from deep red to purple because of the OHT-GNP aggregation driven by strong interactions between OHT and neuraminidase (NA) on the surface of the Tamiflu-resistance. Moreover, the color gradually turns purple as the concentration of the Tamiflu-resistant virus increases, allowing the determination of the presence of the virus with the naked eye. Furthermore, an OHT-based lateral flow assay (LFA) has been developed as a rapid and easy detection device for Tamiflu resistance. It shows detection specificity for various virus concentrations of Tamiflu-resistant virus even for the mixture of WT and Tamiflu-resistant viruses, where the limit of detection (LOD) is 5 × 102 ~ 103 PFU per test (=1 × 104 PFU/mL). It has been confirmed that this platform can provide accurate information on whether a virus exhibits Tamiflu resistance, thus supporting the selection of appropriate treatments using point-of-care (POC) diagnostics.