Biography
Dr. Mayu Hikone is an M.D. specializing in infectious diseases and emergency medicine. She is currently an Assistant Professor at the Kenya Research Station, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University. Her research focuses on the development and clinical validation of non-sputum-based diagnostics for tuberculosis, including urine-based CRISPR assays and biomarker evaluation for TB. She is also pursuing a PhD exploring extrapulmonary TB diagnostics and post-TB sequelae in Kenya.
Key Impacts
One-pot CRISPR gel assay for urine-based diagnosis of TB
Under optimal conditions, the CRISPR gel assay demonstrated detection sensitivity comparable to the Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra, highlighting its potential as a sensitive diagnostic tool for TB in resource-limited settings. To advance the diagnostic applicability of the CRISPR gel assay, further optimization of transrenal DNA detection and clinical validation in TB-endemic settings is needed.
Source: Conference 2024
Improving M. tuberculosis DNA detection from urine and non-sputum sample using the QuickConc method: Preliminary results from a spike-in experiment
Under preliminary conditions, the QuickConc method enhanced MTB DNA detection from urine by effectively concentrating target DNA, highlighting its potential as a sample preparation step for molecular diagnostics using urine and non-sputum sample. Further optimization and validation using clinical samples are currently underway.
Source: Conference 2024