Investigació Aplicada en Malalties Respiratòries

Translational research laboratory for advanced microbiology diagnosis and pathogen-host response in respiratory infections

Objectives

• To implement new and advanced diagnostic tools, specially focused on rapid diagnostic tools and imaging techniques for the microbial diagnosis of pneumonia and respiratory infections
• To study of respiratory microbiome unbalances during respiratory infections acquired in the community or in the nosocomial settings
• To study the role of biofilms in respiratory infections such as ventilator associated pneumonia or chronic respiratory infections (Cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis and Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases)
• To study the efficacy of new antibiotics and their pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) relationships to the aforementioned microorganisms

Projects in Progress

• Effect of Linezolid versus vancomycin in resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) biofilm within endotracheal tubes of patients admitted at the Respiratory Critical care Unit
• Association of P. aeruginosa biofilm with clinical on worse clinical prognosis in patients with non cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
• Effect of aerosolized antimicrobials in endotracheal tubes biofilm
• Validation of a new model of endotracheal tube biofilm caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae
• Effect of monoclonal antibodies to prevent bacterial biofilm in endotracheal tubes
• Effect of corticosteroids in combination with antimicrobials to combat Streptococcus pneumoniae endotracheal biofilm

Milestones Achieved

• Validation studies for the use of microbiological rapid diagnosis through Unyvero-Curetis in Community Acquired pneumonia and Ventilator associated pneumonia
• Standardization of techniques for the study of biofilm within endotracheal tubes
• Standardization of inoculum preparation (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae) and microbial diagnosis in respiratory (EAT, BAL), blood samples and lung biopsies at autopsy for the all the pneumonia pig model experiments.
• Description of biofilm morphology within endotracheal tubes
• Assessment of the effect of systemic antimicrobials on endotracheal tubes biofilm from a pig model of MRSA pneumonia
• Effect of 2-week antipseudomona treatment on P. aeruginosa phenotypical shifts in Cystic Fibrosis patients
• Description of biofilm in patients with bronchiectasis and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases chronically colonized with P. aeruginosa

Future Challenges

• Implementation rapid diagnostic tools and novel imaging techniques in the diagnostic of pneumonia and respiratory infections
• Understand the clinical importance of bacterial biofilm during nosocomial and chronic respiratory infections
• Descritpion of the effect of systemic antimicrobials on bacterial biofilm within endotracheal tubes
• Identification of new therapeutic targets to combat bacterial respiratory infections
• Describing respiratory microbiome unbalances during respiratory infections acquired in the community and in the nosocomial settings