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11:12
Immunometabolic Circuits in Infection for Advancing Host Directed Therapies
Published on: September 13, 2024
Harnessing next-generation microbial diagnostics to optimize infection management in immunocompromised hosts
Danielle Lee1, Nicholas J Norton2, Adam P Dale1,2,3
1NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility and Biomedical Research Centre.
Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases
|June 17, 2026
Summary
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) offers advanced microbial diagnosis for immunocompromised patients, detecting infections missed by traditional methods. Further research is needed to overcome implementation barriers and define its clinical and cost-effectiveness.
Area of Science:
- Medical Microbiology
- Genomics
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Conventional microbiological tests face limitations in diagnosing infections in immunocompromised patients.
- Next-generation sequencing (NGS) presents a promising alternative for comprehensive pathogen detection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current evidence on NGS for diagnosing infections in immunocompromised populations.
- To highlight clinical impacts and identify priorities for integrating NGS into routine practice.
Main Methods:
- Review of case reports, series, and retrospective observational studies on NGS utility.
- Analysis of NGS performance compared to conventional diagnostics for various pathogens.
Main Results:
- NGS successfully diagnosed unusual infections missed by conventional methods.
- NGS demonstrated higher sensitivity and pathogen detection rates, though with limitations for specific organisms.
- Clinical impact of NGS-guided interventions showed variability.
Conclusions:
- NGS has potential to improve diagnosis in complex infections where conventional methods fail.
- Barriers to adoption include cost, workflow complexity, and bioinformatics needs.
- Further research is essential to standardize NGS workflows and establish cost-effectiveness for clinical integration.
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