A group of specialists from the Infectious Diseases area of the Networking Biomedical Research Center (CIBERINFEC), the Son Espases University Hospital in Palma de Mallorca, and the Balearic Islands Health Research Institute (IdISBa) has contributed to the drafting of an international consensus document that evaluates the progress and pending challenges for incorporating genomic sequencing into antibiotic selection.
As detailed by CIBER, genomic sequencing makes it possible to study the DNA of bacteria and identify the genes and mechanisms responsible for antimicrobial resistance. In the last ten years, knowledge about these genetic bases has expanded notably, allowing for the design of tools that, based on the bacterial genome, predict whether a pathogen will be sensitive or resistant to certain drugs.
The document, published in the journal "Clinical Microbiology and Infection," reviews the milestones achieved in this field and emphasizes the capacity of these techniques to complement routine microbiological procedures. Alongside scientific advancement, the team highlights the role of bioinformatics solutions, specific databases, and, more recently, artificial intelligence, which is helping to interpret large volumes of genomic data and refine the predictive capacity of these systems.
However, the consensus also points out several obstacles that must be resolved before genomic sequencing is routinely adopted in clinical practice. Among the priorities are the harmonization of methodologies and quality criteria, the design of global and interoperable databases, the reduction of costs, and the improvement of response times, so that genomic information can be used agilely in therapeutic decision-making.
The signatories of the document emphasize that genomic sequencing is emerging as one of the most promising tools for advancing towards precision medicine in the field of infections.
"In a context marked by the increase in antibiotic resistance, its application could contribute to improving treatment selection and strengthening the response to one of the main challenges for global public health," the research team concluded.
The coordination of the consensus has been carried out by the president of the subcommittee on prediction of antibiotic sensitivity from genomic sequencing of the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST), Antonio Oliver, and the scientific secretary of the same body, Carla López, both researchers from the Microbiology Service of Son Espases, the IdISBa and the CIBERINFEC.
The document is the result of several years of work and the cooperation of 27 experts from different countries. Among the participants is also Rafael Cantón, a researcher at the Ramón y Cajal University Hospital and the CIBERINFEC.