Abstract Loop-mediated isothermal amplifi cation (LAMP)
is an established nucleic acid amplifi cation method offering
rapid, accurate, and cost-effective diagnosis of infectious
diseases. This technology has been developed into commercially
available detection kits for a variety of pathogens
including bacteria and viruses. The current focus on LAMP
methodology is as a diagnostic system to be employed in
resource-limited laboratories in developing countries, where
many fatal tropical diseases are endemic. The combination
of LAMP and novel microfl uidic technologies such as
Lab-on-a-chip may facilitate the realization of genetic
point-of-care testing systems to be used by both developed
and developing countries in the near future. This review will
describe the historical, current, and future developments of
such technologies.
Key words Loop-mediated isothermal amplifi cation
(LAMP) · Nucleic acid amplifi cation test · Rapid diagnosis
tool · Point of care testing (POCT) device