With Resistell’s device physicians get crucial antimicrobial resistance information in hours instead of days. This is confirmed by the results of a study that have been published in a peer-reviewed article in the Nature Communications journal. The publication marks the completion of the company’s technology validation stage and showcases the potential of the Resistell nanomotion technology platform as a diagnostic in the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major public health threat, reducing treatment options for infected patients. AMR is promoted by a lack of access to rapid antibiotic susceptibility tests (ASTs). Accelerated ASTs can identify effective antibiotics for treatment in a timely and informed manner.
The study including clinical data details Resistell’s novel approach to antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST), which unlike traditional methods, does not rely on bacterial growth. Instead, it utilizes nanomotion sensors to detect bacterial vibrations, a method proven to accurately determine antibiotic susceptibility. The platform comprises the Phenotech device and cantilever sensors but also includes sample preparation, data acquisition at a frequency of 60 kHz, and advanced analysis of large datasets
The Phenotech platform is being validated in an international multisite clinical study in collaboration with University Hospital Lausanne (CHUV) in Switzerland, the University Hospital Ramón y Cajal in Madrid, Spain and the Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria. The test reached an accuracy of 97.6% and a mean time-to-result of 4.24 h, on the first 85 E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates included in the study.
Providing results in 2 hours
The next generation device, decreases the test time to only 2 hours and achieves 95.8% accuracy on the combination antibiotic ceftazidime-avibactam commercialized by Pfizer as Zavicefta. Traditional methods can offer next-day turnaround, at best, for fast-growing bacteria. The time to result can be as high as one month for slow-growing bacteria such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
“No other phenotypic AST can deliver accurate results in just 2 hours. This means physicians get crucial antimicrobial resistance information much faster than current technologies permit and can make improved treatment decisions that save lives,” says Dr. Danuta Cichocka, Resistell CEO.
“Resistell’s 2-hour AST can become a game-changer for critically ill patients with bloodstream infections, where every hour of delayed treatment increases the risk of death. This ultra-rapid AST enables the swift administration of critical last-resort drugs to those in dire need, while also facilitating the use of narrow-spectrum antibiotics for others, promoting antibiotic stewardship," confirms Prof. Gilbert Greub, Director of the Institute of Microbiology at the University of Lausanne (UNIL), Head of Microbiology Diagnostic Laboratories at Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and attending physician in infectious diseases.
Working on a high-throuput device
Resistell is currently working on a high-throughput version of the Phenotech device, which will deliver AST results for a panel of the most important antibiotics in clinical practice. “This validation from one of the world’s most reputable scientific journals paves the way for Resistell to transition from technology validation to wider clinical application. It’s an important milestone on the way to becoming a new gold standard in antibiotic susceptibility testing,” says Dr Cichocka.
The article in Naure Communication: Sturm, A. et al. Accurate and rapid antibiotic susceptibility testing using a machine learning-assisted nanomotion technology platform. Nat Commun 15, 2037 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46213-y
(Press release / SR / SK)
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