Based on magnetic nanoparticles, this technology accurately identifies false positives and serves as a reliable alternative to higher-risk tests.
A multidisciplinary scientific team at the University of Malaga has designed a new technology based on magnetic nanoparticles that enables precise, rapid, and reliable diagnosis of allergies to beta-lactam antibiotics—a group that includes amoxicillin and other penicillins.
The system is a “highly efficient” in vitro diagnostic platform that utilizes 30nm nanoparticles—consisting of an iron oxide core and a silica shell—which act “like a tiny magnet covered in thousands of molecular hooks.” “If IgE antibodies responsible for the allergy are present in the patient’s blood, they are captured much more easily than with conventional methods,” explains Ezequiel Pérez-Inestrosa, a professor of Organic Chemistry and one of the authors of this study.
Eliminating incorrect diagnoses
In this regard, the expert points out that penicillin allergy is overdiagnosed. “Although between 8 percent and 25 percent of the population claims to be allergic to these antibiotics, only 1 to 10 percent actually are. This incorrect label necessitates the use of alternative drugs that are often less effective, more toxic, and contribute to the development of bacterial resistance,” explains Pérez-Inestrosa. He emphasizes the importance of identifying these cases reliably, as doing so would allow for the elimination of thousands of incorrect diagnoses that currently influence how patients are treated.