Minutes instead of a week
The innovative test will detect "superbugs" in a matter of minutes
Evgenia Efimova, Vesti
Scientists from the University of California at Berkeley have developed a new inexpensive diagnostic test that effectively detects antibiotic-resistant bacteria in a urine sample. You can get the result in just a few minutes (New test rapidly identifies antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs').
"Drug–resistant infections are a quiet epidemic that kills more people every year than the Zika virus and Ebola. The sooner you start taking the right drug, the higher the chances of salvation, and the lower the probability of getting complications," says Lee Riley, one of the members of the research group.
The test is called DETECT, and it detects in a urine sample the molecular signature of the so-called superbugs, that is, the very microorganisms from which doctors have no salvation yet. To be more precise, the test fixes the molecules of a substance called beta-lactamase. These are specific enzymes produced by bacteria resistant to antibiotics. They produce these compounds just to counteract the drug that is toxic to them.
Let's explain. Many common early-generation antibiotics, including subgroups of penicillins, cephalosporins, carbapenems and monobactams, are beta-lactam. They are united by the presence of a β-lactam ring in the structure. Such medications inhibit the synthesis of the bacterial cell wall. Microorganisms deprived of their "fortress", respectively, cannot reproduce.
Some superbugs have learned to resist the action of such antibiotics by producing the same beta-lactamase.
As scientists say, their test actually detects protective molecules that interfere with the work of antibiotics.
It is noted that this is not the first time scientists have used this "trick" – the detection of beta-lactamase. Meanwhile, earlier developments were not sensitive enough to get the "title" of a quick and easy diagnostic tool.
Previous generations of tests could not recognize small concentrations of beta-lactamase in the test sample. For this reason, doctors could take up to three days to analyze samples in the laboratory. The new development can significantly speed up the diagnostic process.
As explained in the press release, DETECT uses an enzymatic chain reaction to amplify the signal from beta-lactamase. This helps to detect the presence of enzymes in the samples faster.
The test requires only a small amount of urine, which will take only a few minutes to analyze. As a result, it will become clear whether the patient with a bacterial infection has "pests" resistant to antibiotics.
Specialists conducted a series of tests of the new development with the participation of patients suffering from urinary tract infections. The results showed that one quarter of them have bacteria resistant to antibiotics.
The DETECT test will help doctors identify patients who urgently need newer antibiotics. In addition, it will avoid unnecessary prescribing of the latest drugs.
"DETECT [...] identifies patients who can be treated with old-generation antibiotics. As a result, we may not use the latest drugs and slow down the spread of drug resistance," says Niren Murthy, another researcher who worked on the project.
To date, experts continue to improve the test to increase its effectiveness. They hope that soon DETECT will be able not only to identify bacteria resistant to antibiotics, but also to identify specific strains of bacteria. According to Riley, people will be able to use the test in the hospital soon.
A description of the development is presented in the scientific publication ChemBioChem.
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