Scientists at Queen's University Belfast have made a breakthrough in the fight against the most resistant hospital superbugs.
Catheter in arm (stock image). When bacteria
attach to surfaces, including medical implants, they produce a
jelly-like substance called the biofilm -- a protective layer is almost
impossible for current antibiotics to penetrate through.
The team from the School of Pharmacy at Queen's have developed the first innovative antibacterial gel that acts to kill Pseudomonas aeruginosa, staphylococci and E.coli using natural proteins.
The gels have the ability to break down the thick jelly-like coating,
known as biofilms, which cover bacteria making them highly resistant to
current therapies, while leaving healthy cells unaffected.
Dr Garry Laverty, from the School of Pharmacy at Queen's University, and lead researcher,
said: "When bacteria attach to surfaces, including medical implants
such as hip replacements and catheters, they produce a jelly-like
substance called the biofilm. This protective layer is almost impossible
for current antibiotics to penetrate through. Therefore bacteria deep
within this protective layer are resistant as they remain unexposed to
the therapy. They grow and thrive on surfaces to cause infections that
are very difficult to treat. The only option is often to remove the
medical implant leading to further pain and discomfort for the patient.
Our gels would prevent this.
"Our gels are unique as they target and kill the most resistant forms
of hospital superbugs. It involves the use of gels composed of the
building blocks of natural proteins, called peptides. The same
ingredients that form human tissue.
These molecules are modified slightly in the laboratory to allow them
to form gels that will rapidly kill bacteria. This is further evidence
of Queen's research advancing knowledge and changing lives."
The new approach, which was developed as part of an international
collaboration between the School of Pharmacy at Queen's and the School
of Chemistry at Brandeis University, Waltham, USA, is published in the journal Biomacromolecules next month.
The results will form part of a presentation delivered by Dr Laverty at the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UK PharmSci: The Science of Medicines conference at the University of Hertfordshire on the 8th September 2014.
Journal Reference:
- Garry Laverty, Alice P. McCloskey, Brendan F. Gilmore, David S. Jones, Jie Zhou, Bing Xu. Ultrashort Cationic Naphthalene-Derived Self-Assembled Peptides as Antimicrobial Nanomaterials. Biomacromolecules, 2014; 140807094711008 DOI: 10.1021/bm500981y
Courtesy: ScienceDaily
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