Point-of-care molecular diagnostics and drug-resistance mechanisms in neglected infectious diseases: current advances and future therapeutic opportunities

The rising burden of neglected infectious diseases and the accelerating spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) demand rapid, accurate, and decentralized diagnostic solutions. Point-of-care (POC) molecular diagnostics enable early diagnosis and resistance profiling during the clinical encounter, without reliance on centralized laboratories, which is particularly important in low-resource settings. Molecular POC technologies are being developed around the following advances: isothermal nucleic acid amplification technologies, rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR), CRISPR-based diagnostic detection technologies, nanomaterials-enabled biosensors, and microfluidic platforms for sample-to-results with near laboratory-quality accuracy within clinically relevant timeframes (typically < 30 minutes). The combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud-based digital health systems supports the automated interpretation and provision of real-time surveillance and antimicrobial stewardship. Next-generation molecular POC platforms provide higher sensitivity and mechanistic insights into drug-resistance in TB, malaria, and bacterial infections. Barriers include clinical validation, cost, scalability, and equitable access. The convergence of molecular diagnostics, nanotechnology and AI-powered analytics leads to future-oriented, transformative opportunities in precision therapy areas, AMR surveillance and infectious disease preparedness.