Science Daily reported today that researchers out of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and Nationwide Children’s Hospital have developed a rapid screening test to determine whether sinusitis is viral or bacterial. The test could help curb the problem of antibiotic resistance by allowing doctors to more accurately determine who needs antibiotics and who doesn’t.
Sufferers of chronic sinusitis harbor bacteria in their sinuses that create biofilms, which are clumps of bacteria protected by a sticky film. Biofilms are able to evade antibiotics and the body’s defenses, leading to chronic illness. The researchers were particularly interested in nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHI), which both forms biofilms and is likely responsible for many upper respiratory infections.
The team then found a unique chemical signature that signaled the presence of NTHI biofilms—two proteins, outer membrane protein (OMP) 2 and 5. These chemical fingerprints in hand, the team then developed a technology that reacted to the presence of the proteins by changing color. This, coupled with a simple method of collecting nasal mucus using a swab, formed the basis of the experimental test that, if widely adopted, could dramatically reduce the amount of antibiotics prescribed during allergy season.
Two Texas-based entrepreneurs have backed the research, forming a start up called ENTvantage to help fund the tool. While more research is needed, the financial backing could help bring the simple test to doctor’s offices nationwide within the next few years.
