New weapon against antibiotic resistance
The European Centre for Disease ECDC estimates that 25,000 Europeans die each year due to antibiotic resistance. A multi-million crown project entitled RAPP-ID is now in full swing, its objective is to remedy antibiotic resistance with the design of new drugs. A number of KTH researchers are along for the ride.
"Worldwide, there are major problems with antibiotic resistance. One solution is now in sight as new antibiotics are being developed. But it costs a fortune to develop these, in particular because of the cost of testing these drugs, so called screening. Therefore, KTH, among others, as a part of the research project RAPP-ID, will be developing sensors that can sniff out appropriate subjects so that the people that the drugs are tested on can be minimized and so that tests are as effective and as cheap as possible," says Wouter van der Wijngaart, Professor of micro systems technology at KTH.
Along with the KTH researchers Aman Russom and Martin Wiklund at RAPP-ID, Wouter van der Wijngaart forms a part of a large-scale research project with funds amounting to 14,5 million Euro. This involves the efforts of a great number of universities, including the pharmaceutical industry. Besides KTH, the participants among others include the universities of Cambridge, Geneva, Uppsala, Novartis and Sanofi-Aventis.
"This is about a unique collaboration between universities and the pharmaceutical industry, and where future success is based on previous successes in the research projects GRACE, InTopSens and TheraEDGE. There are drugs to treat blood poisoning, tuberculosis and other respiratory tract infections that are being developed. The research project is to be launched in early April," says Wouter van der Wijngaart.
He adds that in addition to effective screening, there is also a great need for tools for the rapid diagnosis of patients seeking care at hospitals and other health institutions. This kind of diagnostic tool is involved in around 60 to 70 per cent of the decisions doctors make, but today they represent only 5 per cent of hospitals’ total expenses. Even here, RAPP-ID it is intended, will make a difference.
"RAPP-ID’s overall goal is to develop a so-called Point-of-Care Test (POCT), a diagnostic tool, which carries out the rapid detection of bacteria, viruses, and biomarkers. For hospitals, detection should take place within two hours, for primary care within 30 minutes," says Wouter van der Wijngaart.
For more information, contact Wouter van der Wijngaart at 08-790 66 13 or wouter@ee.kth.se.
Find out more about RAPP-ID here
Peter Larsson