CSIR’s revolutionary sickle cell anaemia test promises widespread impact

CSIR-CCMB scientists develop affordable, accurate molecular test for sickle cell anaemia, validated by ICMR, with 100% sensitivity and specificity.

A team of scientists at the CSIR-Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB) has developed an accurate, rapid, and affordable molecular test for screening sickle cell anaemia (SCA). This test uses indigenously developed reagents and is designed to better detect the prevalence of this genetic disease, which affects a significant portion of both the tribal and mainland populations in the country.

Chief scientist and director of the CSIR-SCA Mission, Giriraj Ratan Chandak, announced that their polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based test has been validated by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) with “100% sensitivity and 100% specificity.”

This test can screen individuals using just a drop of blood, identifying their status as normal, carriers, or patients in one go, at a cost of ₹100 or less. Besides being half the cost of current confirmatory tests, it eliminates the need for intravenous blood collection, storage, transport, and additional confirmatory tests.

Another advantage of this molecular test is that it allows for immediate prenatal diagnosis and genetic counseling, unlike current tests such as HPLC or Rapid Cart tests. Gene sequencing of about 16,000 samples demonstrated over 99.6% accuracy when validated against HPLC-based screening of pregnant women and newborns in Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, added Chandak.

“We have got the patent for the test to make it available to the larger community in 17 States likely afflicted by SCA. We are also helping medical college and hospitals including AIIMS in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra to set up such PCR centres by providing equipment and training personnel,” he said, in an exclusive interaction.

Mr. Chandak and his team launched the mission under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in 2018 with the goal of screening for the prevalence of SCA, which is predominantly found among the tribal population.

The disease is caused by a mutated gene that alters red blood cells (RBCs), making them sickle-shaped, which leads to their increased destruction, chronic anaemia, and associated complications such as pain. The team began screening tribal and non-tribal populations in Chhattisgarh, later expanding to Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, testing up to 30 lakh people for SCA over time.