摘 要:
宏基因组测序以其广谱、无偏、无需培养的特点,正改变临床感染诊断模式。其在未知或罕见病原体识别、混合感染解析、免疫抑制人群管理、脑炎等低丰度病原检测以及耐药基因预测方面均表现出显著优势。宏基因组测序还可以用于耐药性监测、传播链分析和公共卫生预警,扩展传统检测的能力。然而,其临床应用仍受宿主背景高、缺乏统一标准、定量能力有限、成本较高等因素限制。随着富集技术、测序技术、自动化流程及人工智能算法的发展,宏基因组测序有望实现更高灵敏度、更快周转时间和更规范的临床应用,为精准感染诊疗与公共卫生监测提供重要支撑。
关键词:宏基因组测序;病原体检测;感染性疾病;免疫抑制;自动化平台
Abstract:
Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) has emerged as a powerful, unbiased diagnostic tool that overcomes the limitations of conventional culture and targeted assays. Its broad pathogen coverage enables rapid identification of rare, novel, and mixed infections, particularly benefiting critically ill and immunocompromised patients. mNGS also supports antimicrobial-resistance profiling, host–pathogen interaction analysis, and epidemiological surveillance. Despite these advantages, several challenges hinder routine clinical adoption, including high host-background interference, limited quantitative accuracy, and lack of standardized workflows across laboratories. Additionally, database errors, contamination control, and the balance between sequencing depth, sensitivity, and cost remain key constraints. Advances in host-depletion methods, long-read sequencing, automation, and AI-driven bioinformatics are expected to improve sensitivity, interpretability, and turnaround time. With expanding evidence from real-world studies, mNGS is poised to evolve from an innovative diagnostic approach into a comprehensive platform for pathogen detection, resistance assessment, and public-health monitoring.
Keywords: Metagenomic Next-generation Sequencing; Pathogen Detection; Infectious Diseases; Immunosuppression; Automated Platform
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