TACKLING AMR THROUGH RAPID DIAGNOSIS
Much of the School of Biosciences and Medicine’s research in the field of AMR focuses on tuberculosis (TB) – an infection which was once largely curable but now kills around 1.5m people every year due to certain strains developing resistance to antibiotics.
For the past decade, a team led by Johnjoe McFadden, Professor of Molecular Genetics, has been looking at how TB cells grow inside a body and exploring the phenomenon of ‘persisters’ – the tiny fraction of cells which are highly resistant to antibiotics.
Professor McFadden explained: “In most cases you will kill 99.9 per cent of the infection quickly, but treatment to kill these last persistent cells can take six months, which means that antibiotics are given over a long timeframe.”
Recently, his team has turned its attention to diagnostics for infectious diseases. Since infections generally take up to 48 hours to diagnose, clinicians prescribe a broad spectrum of antibiotics to treat a patient’s ailment – one of the factors that is lessening the effectiveness of antibiotics over time. In a project funded by Innovate UK, Surrey’s researchers are working with commercial partner Molecular Warehouse and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine to develop a test which can diagnose a bacterial infection in less than 30
minutes. The initial focus for this work is rural China, where communities are not able to access expensive lab-based diagnostic tests.
Within the same project, a ‘Therapeutic Drug Monitoring’ system is being developed which will accurately monitor antibiotic treatments using a simple blood test. This will ensure that patients receive the correct dosage of antibiotics to treat their infections and, crucially, determine when the course should end – extending the shelf life of antibiotics.
Professor McFadden said: “The overuse of antibiotics is becoming a public health emergency, particularly in the developing world where technologies and medical treatments are in short supply. The technology we have developed will make it easier for clinicians in these countries to diagnose infections correctly and ensure that patients are prescribed the most appropriate antibiotic.”
This message is echoed by Lord O’Neill. “Although AMR is a massive challenge, it is one that I believe is well within our ability to tackle effectively,” he says. “The human and economic costs compel us to act: if we fail to do so, the brunt of these will be borne by our children and grandchildren, and felt most keenly in the poorest parts of the world.”
AMR research benefits fom alumnus giſt
The fight against AMR is one of two research areas to be supported by a £1.5m philanthropic gift by the Equal Opportunities Foundation, which was established by Marcus Lee, who graduated from Surrey in 1992 with a BEng in Engineering and Business Management.
The gift, which will also fund the development of solar cell technology and a Surrey-China Fellowship Programme, will support Surrey’s medical research to develop alternative vaccines for antibiotic-resistant infections.
“The Equal Opportunities Foundation is committed to finding long-term solutions to some of the global challenges we face – saving lives by developing new vaccines and securing clean, renewable energy for the planet. The innovative and pioneering work going on at Surrey makes the University an ideal partner for us to support.”
Marcus Lee
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