UTI can be treated by DNA sequencing, study suggests

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Urinary tract infection, or UTI, is the most common infection in individuals that involves the ureters, urethra, kidneys and bladder or the organs in the urinary system. It can be detected by urinalysis, then treated by antibiotic. However, a new study reveals that there could be an easier and faster way to cure it - by simply using DNA sequencing.

Eureka Alert reports that based on a research done by the University of East Anglia, a USB-sized stick called the MinION can do a nanopore sequencing to determine what type of bacteria there is in a urine sample. The process is four times faster than a normal urine culture. Furthermore, this new method can also detect if there is antibiotic resistance, ensuring effective treatment.

Professor David Livermore, one of the lead researchers from the Norwich Medical School of the university, states that UTI is one of the major reasons why antibiotics are prescribed by doctors. While most are mild, some can cause problems especially among elderly. If left untreated, UTI can lead to urosepsis, a fatal condition where the infection spreads to the bloodstream.

International Business Times writes that the research team was able to determine the efficiency of the MinION, created by the Oxford Nanopore Technologies, by testing it on a heavily-infected urine sample, then checking back if the DNA sequencing is done. They have discovered that the device can finish the sequence in as little as 12 hours, which is a quarter of the total needed for a conventional microbiology to finish its testing.

BBC News writes that Professor Livermore shares the research was done to provide a more direct approach in managing UTI. Besides making a refined treatment, it can be beneficial to both society and patients by preventing antibiotic stocks from diminishing and getting a more effective antibiotic treatment, respectively.

Dr. Justin O'Grady shares that the MinION can also detect if the cause of the infection shows any signs of resistance. But, like any other innovative solutions, it has limitations. For example, the urine needs to be heavily infected by bacteria before the MinION can detect it.

The results of the "MinION Nanopre Sequencing to Identify Pathogens and Resistabce Gene Directly from Urine Specimes" was presented at the Interscience Conference of Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) and the International Society of Chemotherapy (ICC) by the America Society for Microbiology by Katarzyna Schmidt and Dr. Justin O'Grady last September 19th.