Pneumonia remains one of the leading causes of death in low- and middle-income countries, where access to advanced medical technologies is limited. According to the World Health Organization, acute lower respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia continue to place an immense burden on health systems in these regions.
Accurate diagnosis is key to treating pneumonia effectively. However, current diagnostic methods cannot rapidly distinguish between viral and bacterial causes of infection. As a result, patients are often treated empirically with antibiotics, which can lead to inappropriate use and contribute to the growing global threat of antimicrobial resistance.
To address this challenge, researchers have developed a fast, reliable, and affordable detection method tailored for low-resource environments. The team focused on identifying Streptococcus pneumoniae—the most common bacterial cause of pneumonia—using a simplified loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique.
The paper is published in the journal ACS Omega.
In the study, scientists designed, optimized, and validated the LAMP method for use with clinical swab samples. When compared to established PCR-based detection, the simplified LAMP test demonstrated comparable performance. Crucially, it eliminates the need for expensive thermal cyclers, enabling sensitive and accurate results within a short turnaround time.
Beyond the molecular method, the team also engineered a low-cost, portable diagnostic device that supports point-of-care applications. This innovation enables health care workers in low- and middle-income countries to rapidly identify bacterial pneumonia and make informed treatment decisions—reducing unnecessary antibiotic use and improving patient outcomes.
“Our goal was to make a reliable pneumonia diagnostic accessible to everyone, regardless of infrastructure or resources,” said Václav Martínek from the Faculty of Science at Charles University.
“By combining the simplicity of the LAMP method with an affordable device, we’ve created a practical solution that can save lives where it’s needed most.”
This innovative application represents an important step toward closing the diagnostic gap in global pneumonia care and combating the spread of antimicrobial resistance through smarter, faster, and more affordable testing technologies.
More information:
Petr Je?ábek et al, Simplified Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification-Based Method for Point-of-Care Detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Low-Resource Settings, ACS Omega (2025). DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.5c01541
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