Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP): principle, features, and future prospects.

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), a newly developed gene amplification method, combines rapidity, simplicity, and high specificity. Several tests have been developed based on this method, and simplicity is maintained throughout all steps, from extraction of nucleic acids to detection of amplification. In the LAMP reaction, samples are amplified at a fixed temperature through a repetition of two types of elongation reactions occurring at the loop regions: self-elongation of templates from the stem loop structure formed at the 3'-terminal and the binding and elongation of new primers to the loop region. The LAMP reaction has a wide range of possible applications, including point-of-care testing, genetic testing in resource-poor settings (such as in developing countries), and rapid testing of food products and environmental samples.