Molecular Bacterial Load Assay

About

About The diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of chronic and persistent bacterial infection costs national healthcare systems and individual patients dearly. The St Andrews group of prof. Stephen Gillespie has developed a Molecular Bacterial Load Assay (MBLA), a rapid method to detect and determine viable bacteria. MBLA opens up new applications in the diagnosis and treatment of a range of chronic bacterial infections, and the assay represents an opportunity to create a completely new platform of tests addressing a large market in bacterial diagnostics. The current developed MBLA is formatted for a range of mycobacteria, with M. Tuberculosis the key assay target. An additional laboratory assay is under development to monitor chronic bronchial sepsis, and the MBLA format could be further developed to provide a wide range of bacterial diagnostics. Of specific interest is the use of MBLA in the diagnosis and treatment monitoring of a range of chronic bacterial infections, particularly where treatment monitoring is currently poorly available and unreliable. Key Benefits Rapid molecular method - results in 4 hours Genus specific More sensitive than many DNA-based diagnostic tests Identifies whether the bacteria detected are alive or dead Technologically similar to other techniques and can be used on standard molecular platforms, easing scale up and use Not technically complex Provides information that clinicians want but cannot get Can be used to detect the effect of treatment; the test can be used on multiple occasions to show if a patient is responding to treatment Already field tested in a challenging environment and proved robust and reliable Applications The MBLA is currently formatted for a range of mycobacteria with M. Tuberculosis the main assay under development A series of assays for use in the monitoring of chronic bronchial sepsis is in development (approx 300k patients needing monthly measurements) Further applications under consideration - particularly for chronic bacterial infections IP Status The work has been funded to date through a Euro1.2M grant which has contributed to the Gillespie group's lead in the development and application of MBLA's. We are looking for a diagnostic company interested in collaborating with the University in developing commercial diagnostic tests to address a range of chronic bacterial infections. Further information will be made available under the University's mutual NDA.