Clinical tests show that biosensors could pave the way for a personalized antibiotherapy in the future
Personalized drug therapy adjusting the dose, dosage intervals, and the duration of treatment to fit individual patients' needs is increasingly important. Frequently, medications are dosed in such a way that each patient receives the same standardized amount of a drug. Thus, clinical conditions such as overall state of health, metabolism, or other physical factors are often not sufficiently considered. A research team at the University of Freiburg has developed a bioanalytical method to measure the class of β-lactam antibiotics in human blood onsite – in the operating room, intensive ward or doctor's office, or even the patient's home. "This way, we can easily determine just how quickly the human body metabolizes a drug," said the microsystems engineer Dr. Can Dincer, who is the head of the research team.