TwistDx has been selected as a winner in an NHS competition to find ways to help combat healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs).
A rapid, portable, point-of-care test for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), developed by TwistDx and based on a method of detecting DNA, was one of nine products chosen from approximately 250 applications submitted to the Smart Solutions for HCAI programme, an NHS project that aims to identify technologies with the potential to fight hospital bugs.
TwistDx's MRSA test and the other winning products will be evaluated in a hospital setting.
If effective, the MRSA test could be used in patient screening protocols throughout the NHS.
noted Dr Niall Armes, CEO of TwistDx.
TwistDx is applying its DNA technology, recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA), to develop a rapid, portable test for MRSA that has the potential to give results within 10-15 mins.
RPA is a DNA amplification technology that allows diagnostic tests to retain the highest possible levels of specificity and sensitivity, while adding superior speed and portability compared with current DNA diagnostics.
Current methods for detecting MRSA include a variety of microbiological and DNA diagnostic tests, which usually require centralised testing and can take 48 hours or more for results.
The RPA-based MRSA test will offer immediate diagnosis and, if positive, allow nursing staff to take appropriate action to prevent the spread of the infection.
The low instrumentation needs and ease of use of the TwistDx MRSA test offers the possibility of minimal access costs to implement gold standard molecular testing throughout the health care setting.
MRSA is a resistant variation of the common bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (staph) that has evolved an ability to survive treatment with antibiotics, including penicillin, methicillin and cephalosporins.
The NHS and other health authorities worldwide have recognised that MRSA is especially troublesome in hospital-associated infections, as hospital patients with open wounds, invasive devices and weakened immune systems are at greater risk of infection than the general public.
