Flu could one day be detected through the tastebuds, following the development of a test that produces a Mediterranean herb flavor when the virus is present.
The low-tech sensor releases the flavor of thyme and could be built into a gum, lozenge, or lollipop to rapidly screen anyone, anywhere at any time without the need for labs or specialist personnel.
This would crucially help prevent the spread of flu when people are contagious but before symptoms appear, which is key to preventing future pandemics.
“This strategy opens up new possibilities for the early detection and control of influenza worldwide,” said researcher Lorenz Meinel, PhD, from the University of Würzburg.
“Instead of relying on expensive and complicated testing procedures, we use the natural human sensory system—taste—as a tool for the early detection of infections.”
The findings appear in ACS Central Science.
Flu causes around half a million deaths each year and early quarantining of infected people crucial to prevent outbreaks. However, this is hampered by pre-symptomatic transmission, which results in massive screening needs.
Nasal swab tests using polymerase chain reaction are accurate but are slow and costly, while the cheaper and more convenient at-home lateral flow tests don’t catch infections before symptoms are present.
In an attempt to find an alternative, the team developed a molecular sensor that releases thymol—which is present in the herb thyme—in the presence of the flu virus.
The sensor is based on a substrate of the influenza virus glycoprotein called neuraminidase, which is the N in H1N1 swine flu virus, to which is added a thymol molecule.
The flu virus breaks particular bonds in the host cell using neuraminidase in order to infect it, and the researchers exploited this mechanism to their gain.
When the virus encounters the sensor, it removes the thymol molecules, and these are then tasted on the tongue enabling its detection.
Lab tests revealed that the sensor was able to release thymol within half an hour from human saliva and did not affect the function of either human or mouse cells.
“This sensor could be a rapid and accessible first-line screening tool to help protect people in high-risk environments,” says Meinel.
A similar technique could also create tests for other viruses and bacteria.
“For other infections, for example, the virus-specific sugar component could be replaced by a bacteria-specific peptide. The underlying functionality would remain the same,” Meinel explained.
The current test is still in early development, but the researchers are hoping that it may enter mass production, with the process expected to take around four years.
