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Research

A five-year project at the University will contribute to reducing dramatically the time taken to diagnose different types of infection. This will be done by more rapidly determining whether a virus rather than a bacterium is responsible for some patients’ symptoms. A new test could be used to avoid unnecessary antibiotic prescribing and so reduce the pressure for resistance development.

In May 2016, the University secured a £3.9million grant funded by the Antimicrobial Resistance Cross Council Initiative, which is a collaboration of all seven UK research councils, to carry out this work.

Experts from the Faculties of Medicine and Health, Engineering, and Biological Sciences are collaborating on the project.

It will result in a portable device which can be used in GP surgeries or at the bedside. Sensors will be able to diagnose within 10 minutes whether a patient is suffering from an infection caused by a virus or by bacteria. Currently, similar tests can take many hours or days.

With faster diagnostic information, GPs or A&E doctors are aided in their treatment of patients using drugs they know are effective to treat an individual’s illness.

When tests take too long, and patients put doctors under pressure, incorrect or unnecessary drugs can be given. However, wrongly prescribed drugs can have side effects. We hope improved quality and speed of diagnoses will make a significant difference.

When tests take too long, and patients put doctors under pressure, incorrect or unnecessary drugs like antibiotics can be given. However, wrongly prescribed drugs can have side effects. We hope improved quality and speed of diagnoses will make a significant difference.

PROFESSOR LARS JEUKEN

Connecting biology with electronics

Professor Jeuken explained that key to cutting down the timescale for accurate diagnoses will be the development of new sensor molecules which can convert a biological signal to an electronic signal within the device, which can be read and used by medical staff.

The technology developed by Professor Christoph Walti and Professor Paul Millner will integrate electronics with biological molecules and fluidics, relying on the expertise of Professor Nik Kapur and colleagues from the Faculty of Engineering.

This relationship takes place at the molecular level using ‘capture molecules’ that bind to ‘marker’ molecules present in the body as a result of an infection.

New artificial antibodies called Affimers developed by Professor Mike McPherson and Dr Darren Tomlinson from the Faculty of Biological Sciences will be adapted for use. The University has licensed these molecules to Avacta Life Sciences as part of its Affimer platform.

Testing and validation of the new technology will be carried out by clinicians including Professor Wilcox, Dr Jonathon Sandoe and Dr Andrew Kirby, working in the Faculty of Medicine and Health, Leeds General Infirmary and at St James’ Hospital. They will ensure lab-based trials can be reproduced in a clinical laboratory setting with statistical oversight provided by Professor Robert West. Dr Bethany Shinkins will provide support to assess the cost effectiveness of the new technology.

Dr Michael Messenger will be involved in testing the device for clinical use.

The Leeds In Vitro Diagnostics Co-Operative led by Dr Michael Messenger, will oversee the translation of the technology from the university’s labs into medical use.

Combatting Clostridium difficile

As well as distinguishing between bacterial and viral infections, the technology will be specifically designed for use by hospital-based medics dealing with potential Clostridium difficile infections (CDI). This will draw on the world-leading work carried out by the Professor Wilcox in this field.

The intention through this strand of work is to use the same device to detect whether the patient’s symptoms are indeed a result of CDI, so they can be treated with an appropriate antibiotic.

Viewpoint

Professor Christoph Wälti is leading the research.

Professor Christoph Wälti is the principal investigator in the project to create the portable testing device:

A lot of people go to the doctor for antibiotics with common cold symptoms, but antibiotics will not help all of them, because the cause of their illness is not bacterial; it may be viral or fungal.
What we are trying to do is create a diagnostic platform which can say very quickly that either the patient has an infection which can be treated with antibiotics, or another infection which cannot.
The issue worldwide, which the O’Neill Report identified, is that overuse of antibiotics is driving anti-microbial resistance.
The intention is for GPs and primary care providers to reduce significantly the number of antibiotic prescriptions. Doctors say they want something which can prove to patients that they do not have a bacterial illness, so they do not have to prescribe unneeded drugs.
Existing diagnostic technology has limitations, which include sensitivity and the time to produce a result. We are developing the next generation of such technology to address the huge challenge of AMR.
The key to this whole project is we have everything we need in place; there is a natural relationship between the people, the research and the infrastructure here at Leeds, which is so vital to making this happen.

The investigators in the project are: Professor Paul Millner, Professor Michael McPherson, Dr Lars Jeuken, Dr Darren Tomlinson (Biological Sciences), Professor Mark Wilcox, Dr Jonathan Sandoe, Dr Michael Messenger, Dr Andrew Kirby, Professor Robert West, Dr Bethany Shinkins (Medicine and Health), Professor Nikil Kapur, Professor Christoph Wälti (Engineering).

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