Dr Ernest Azzopardi, a clinical academic in the Department of Anatomy within the Faculty for Medicine and Surgery has achieved a groundbreaking milestone with patents granted in the USA and European Economic Area (EEA) for a revolutionary method to swiftly detect invasive bacterial infections. This innovative approach has the potential to reshape infection management and combat the growing antibiotic resistance crisis, a matter of global concern. Dr Azzopardi's method capitalises on the fact that invasive bacteria make blood vessels leaky, allowing specific molecules to enter but not exit. When the concentration of these molecules is elevated compared to blood levels, it triggers a signal on a biosensor, resulting in a rapid and accurate diagnosis. The approach is simple, cost-effective, and designed for bedside use, with early human tests showing promising accuracy of over 90% and results in just 5-10 minutes.
This breakthrough is a game-changer in the battle against bacterial infections, addressing the urgent need for swift and precise diagnosis, especially amid the growing threat of antibiotic resistance. Traditional tests often fail to identify invasive infections promptly, leading to overprescription of antibiotics or delayed treatment for patients in need. Encouragingly, the patents have also been confirmed and enforceable in specific jurisdictions, a process called validation.
Dr Azzopardi's innovation offers hope for more accurate and timely care for patients, amidst the challenges posed by bacterial infections and antibiotic resistance in modern medicine.
Dr Azzopardi鈥檚 research has been previously recognised by several prestigious awards including the BAAPS travelling fellowship (2019) the Dowager-Peel award (2018), funding from the Royal Colleges of Surgery in the UK, and others. Earlier research on this work was recognised with the conferment of the 2015 Hunterian Professorship from the Royal College of Surgeons in England, the Joseph Syme Medal from the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh and the President's Medal form the British Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons in the UK.
