Duration: May 2018 – May 2020
Funding Source: Sasakawa Memorial Fund of the Children’s Hospital Foundation
Chief investigators: David Whiley, Christopher Coulter, Julia Clark, Sushil Pandey, Claire Wainwright, Amy Jennison, Graeme Nimmo, Scott Bell
PhD Student: Amanda Bordin
Research Assistants: Hazel Hackett, Carolyn Pardo
Aim
To develop new molecular tests that can rapidly detect Mycobacterium abscessus complex infection and associated antimicrobial resistance directly in respiratory samples.
Background
The Mycobacterium abscessus complex is a group of bacteria that can cause life-threatening respiratory infections, especially in people with underlying lung conditions. It is now considered one of the most serious and difficult-to-treat respiratory infections affecting children with cystic fibrosis.
Key clinical challenges include:
- Mycobacterium abscessus complex bacteria are resistant to commonly used antibiotics.
- The number of infected patients has rapidly increased in recent years, and is recognised as a worldwide problem affecting patients with cystic fibrosis.
- Detecting these bugs using traditional bacterial culture-based tests can take weeks, leaving doctors with little information to guide treatment decisions or implement infection control measures.
Impact
The new molecular diagnostic methods developed via the MiCCy project will address the above challenges by providing rapid diagnosis (hours rather than weeks) and simultaneously providing information on antibiotic resistance that doctors can use to choose the most effective therapies.
