Let’s face it: antibiotics – incredible, lifesaving innovations that they are – can be really annoying to take. Courses can be long, doses may have to be carefully timed around meals, and you might have to lay off certain foods and drinks. Wouldn’t it be great if you could load up on all the antibiotics you need in one go? That vision might one day become a reality, thanks to a new delivery system that’s been trialed on two common human infections.
The nanomedicine, developed by scientists at the University of Waterloo, encapsulates an entire course of antibiotics in one tiny package. Microscopic fatty acid compounds control the release of the drug inside the body, only when they’re in the presence of toxins produced by bacteria.
“Compared to traditional therapies that release drugs continuously, even when not needed, our nanomedicine is designed to release drugs only when required, which will potentially reduce severe side effects associated with excess dosing,” explained lead researcher Dr Emmanuel Ho in a statement.
Any nanomedicine that’s not needed will just break down naturally in the body, without causing side effects. This means there’s no risk of taking too much, and the body isn’t constantly exposed to what can be quite harsh drugs for several days straight.
In two separate papers, the authors detail how they tested their innovation on two bacteria that often cause human disease. Streptococcus pneumoniae is often implicated in serious, potentially deadly infections like meningitis and bacterial pneumonia, and can progress to sepsis. The other, Gardnerella vaginalis, is the major culprit behind bacterial vaginosis, a common infection of the vagina that causes discomfort and unusual discharge.
Both are associated with a high risk of reinfection, so the aim with using the nanomedicine was to develop a system that would allow patients to stay infection-free without having to take lots of doses of medication.
An added benefit of this method is that it means the exact right amount of antibiotic needed to fight the infection is administered, and no more. We’ve all heard about the importance of antibiotic stewardship and using these drugs responsibly to try and combat the rise in antimicrobial resistance, so this is a big plus.
The experiments with S. pneumoniae and G. vaginalis were limited to bacterial cultures for now – we’re not yet at the point of developing this into a medicine humans can take, but the authors are hopeful that they’ll get there. Both studies showed that that system worked as intended, releasing the drug steadily when in the presence of the target bacterium.
The applications of this technology could also reach far beyond the medical. The authors suggest potential uses in diagnostics and antimicrobial coatings, and tests are currently underway to see if it might be applied to food packaging to help keep certain products fresher for longer.
The problem of antimicrobial resistance calls for creative solutions, and this type of delivery system could play a part in that, as well as making the process of taking antibiotics easier and better for patients.
Ho said, “Our technology is far-reaching, and this is just the beginning.”
The S. pneumoniae study is published in Drug Delivery and Translational Research. The G. vaginalis study is published in Nanotechnology.
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