Regulatory News:
A team of researchers from the University of Sunderland and bioMérieux
(Paris:BIM), a leading company in the field of in vitro
diagnostics, have achieved a new step in the fight against Pseudomonas
aeruginosa, a bacterium responsible for deadly healthcare-associated
infections, which kills tens of thousands of people throughout the world
every year1.
Researchers at the University of Sunderland’s
Pharmacy School, Professor Paul Groundwater and Dr. Roz Anderson, in
collaboration with Prof. John Perry of Freeman Hospital in Newcastle,
Prof. Arthur James of Northumbria University and Sylvain Orenga of bioMérieux
have discovered a new technique for the highly specific detection of Pseudomonas
aeruginosa, which primarily infects the lungs of patients with
cystic fibrosis. It is also a major cause of infection among patients
with immune deficiencies, such as patients with AIDS and cancer or those
suffering from burns.
Known as a "superbug”,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is very difficult to cure as it is highly
resistant to antibiotics. Early detection makes a huge difference to a
patient’s chances of survival and the research
team’s discovery increases the accuracy and
speed of detection of the bacteria to within 24-48 hours.
"bioMérieux
is very proud to have participated in and supported this research that
will help in the fight against Healthcare-Associated Infections, a
strategic focus for our company,” declared
Dr. Peter Kaspar, bioMérieux Corporate Vice
President of R&D. "This
discovery will enable bioMérieux to bring
additional high-medical value tests to clinicians and positively impact
patients’ treatment and their follow-up care,”
he added.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa currently accounts for 16.5% of all
hospital infections2. An estimated 28 % of
people who have undergone transplant surgery are infected by the bacteria3.
"These bacteria are really difficult to treat, and hospital staff
need to know very quickly if someone has been infected. In our new
diagnostic method a non-coloured compound reacts with an enzyme present
in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and produces a very distinctive purple
colour which indicates the presence of these bacteria. This technique
works on 99% of the strains of this superbug," said Paul
Groundwater, Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of
Sunderland. "We hope our research will make a big difference in the
survival rate of many thousands of vulnerable people throughout the
world," he concluded.
About Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major cause of infection among
patients with immune defects. It is tolerant to many detergents,
disinfectants and antimicrobial compounds and is difficult to control in
hospitals and institutional environments. It causes urinary tract
infections, respiratory system infections, dermatitis, soft tissue
infections, bacteremia, bone and joint infections, gastrointestinal
infections and a variety of systemic infections, particularly in
patients with severe burns and in cancer and AIDS patients who are
immunosuppressed. Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection is a serious
problem in patients hospitalized with cancer, cystic fibrosis, and
burns. The case fatality rate in these patients is near 50%.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the USA, Pseudomonas
aeruginosa currently accounts for 10.1% of all hospital infections.
About Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs
and digestive system of about 70,000 children and adults worldwide. A
defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce
unusually thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and leads to
life-threatening lung infections, obstructs the pancreas and stops
natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food.
50% of cystic fibrosis patients will be infected with Pseudomonas
aeruginosa, and of those infected 50% will die4.
About the University of Sunderland
The University of Sunderland’s School of
Pharmacy was established in 1921 and has grown to be regarded as one of
the best in England. Teaching in pharmacy and pharmacology was described
as excellent in the last Quality Assurance Agency review, and the School
is making breakthroughs in several crucial areas of research, including
drug discovery, formulation, pharmacology and analytical science.
About bioMérieux Advancing Diagnostics to Improve Public Health
A world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics for 45 years,
bioMérieux is present in more than 150
countries through 38 subsidiaries and a large network of distributors.
In 2007, revenues reached €1.063 billion with
84% of sales outside of France.
bioMérieux provides diagnostic solutions
(reagents, instruments, software), which determine the source of disease
and contamination to improve patient health and ensure consumer safety.
Our products are used for diagnosing infectious diseases and providing
high medical value results for cardiovascular emergencies and cancer
screening and monitoring. They are also used for detecting
microorganisms in agri-food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. bioMérieux
is listed on Eurolist by Euronext. For more information, visit www.biomerieux.com.
1 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: www.cff.org 2 Overview of nosocomial infections caused
by gram-negative bacilli. Gaynes R, Edwards JR; National Nosocomial
Infections Surveillance System. Clin Infect Dis. 2005 Sep
15;41(6):848-54. Epub 2005 Aug 16. Comment in: Clin Infect Dis. 2006 Feb
15;42(4):577-8; author reply 578. 3 Andrey V. Zaytsev, Rosaleen J. Anderson,
Alexandre Bedernjak, Paul W. Groundwater, Yongxue Huang,John D. Perry,
Sylvain Orenga, Celine Roger-Dalbert and Arthur James - Synthesis and
testing of chromogenic phenoxazinone substrates for b-alanyl
aminopeptidase - Org. Biomol. Chem., 2008, 6, 682–692 4 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: www.cff.org
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