Microplate Dx - rapid antibiotic susceptibility test for UTIs
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Microplate Dx - rapid antibiotic susceptibility test for urinary tract infections (UTIs)
IRAS ID
318965
Contact name
Stuart Hannah
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Microplate Dx Limited
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global health problem and is THE greatest threat to public health (WHO). By 2050, drug-resistant infections could kill 10 million people p/a (O'Neill, 2016). AMR risks returning medicine to a pre-antibiotic age, putting routine surgeries at threat.
Inappropriate antibiotic usage is the most significant cause of AMR and without rapid diagnostics, clinicians may prescribe empirically, which may not be effective against the causative pathogen, necessitating additional antibiotics and encouraging the generation and spread of resistant organisms. Therefore, we are developing an in-vitro diagnostic test (IVD) 'RPlate' to rapidly (<1h) select the most appropriate antibiotic for treatment. The test will result in enhanced antibiotic stewardship and reduce rates of AMR and is highly versatile, agnostic to sample type, amenable to bacterial/fungal infections, and will save lives.
This project focusses on urinary tract infections (UTIs) - 14% of antibiotic prescriptions, and the cause of 1 in 4 sepsis cases. Furthermore, Escherichia coli (>1/3 bloodstream infections, has a urogenital tract source in over 50% of cases, and prior treatment for a UTI has the most significant effect associated with UTI as a source. A study (Abernethy et al, 2017) showed that patients prescribed an antibiotic for UTI may develop resistance to that antibiotic, and persist for 12 months. An increase in carriage of organisms resistant to the first line antibiotics in the general population generates increasing use of second and third line antibiotics in the community and subsequent resistance to those antibiotics required to manage serious infections in hospital.
MicroplateDx are tackling UTIs using anonymised surplus patient samples and compared to results from the routine microbiology laboratory. Growth profiles in the presence of different UTI antibiotics will be devised to ascertain the optimum antibiotic for each patient, significantly quicker than current gold-standard methods - reducing inappropriate antibiotic use and resistance.
REC name
Wales REC 7
REC reference
22/WA/0253
Date of REC Opinion
15 Aug 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion