Research to Further Developments in Drug Resistance

Symcel has partnered with TiKa Diagnostics and St. George’s University of London, for the use of its microcalorimetry technology in efforts to control the prevalence and spread of drug resistant tuberculosis and for impact studies on development of superbug treatments.

Symcel’s calScreener^TM, installed at a BioSafety Category 3 facility at TiKa Diagnostics, is being tested for use in detection and anti-microbial susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the cause of tuberculosis in humans, Mycobacterium bovis, the cause of tuberculosis in cattle that can sometimes be passed to humans and Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), the cause of Johne’s Disease in cows - reducing their milk production and reproductive capabilities.

Researchers at a Biosafety Category 2 facility at St. George’s University of London, which is developing new drug treatments specifically against multi-drug resistant bacteria, will also use a second system to study antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and their interaction with superbugs. It will also test the surface modification of plastics to prevent biofilm formation and the capability of AMPs to cause the destruction of existing biofilms.

Magnus Jansson, Chief Scientific Officer at Symcel remarked: “By utilising our calScreener assay, it is possible to more accurately measure the surivival rates of superbugs – overcoming the problem of it often being unclear whether cells are alive or dead. Moreover, our technolology enables the live, real-time monitoring of the metabolic state of superbugs.”

Dr. Kai Hilpert, Director, TiKa Diagnsotics, said: “We are very pleased to have the opportunity to work with Symcel and to provide a new research model in the field of antimicrobial susceptibility testing – one which combines our novel substance with their innovative technology. We are confident that this is set to provide the healthcare market with a solution that will enable patients to obtain the right treatment faster. It is also likely to enable a greater proportion of patients suffering from tuberculosis to receive a confirmational diagnosis using direct bacterial cell culture.”