Scientists from Nano Med Tech are working on designing multi-chambered nanoparticles capable of treating infected cells without causing damage to healthy tissues.
The nanoparticles can improve the efficacy of antibiotics when integrated by targeting only infected cells. According to the scientists, since the nanoparticles are designed to pierce the membranes of bacteria cells, the nanoparticle-integrated drugs will be effective in treating diseases that show high resistance to antibiotics.
The researchers believe that the novel nanoparticles can be used in soaps and hand sanitizers, thus paving the way to address the problems of medical facilities caused by aggressive infections like staph.
The head researcher of the program for Nano Med Tech, Liang Xiu, stated that this innovation will help both lay consumers and medical professionals to disinfect surfaces and bodies at an unprecedented level. Xiu added that this technology will help develop products capable of searching and killing harmful bacteria, while leaving out harmless bacteria used by the body. It is a known fact that a high dose of oral antibiotics can destroy good bacteria, thus causing adverse side effects, he said. These side effects can virtually be avoided by making antibiotics to selectively destroy harmful bacteria through the integration of the innovative nanoparticles, he added.
Dr. Xiu further said that the advanced engineering of these novel nanoparticles will enable healthcare professionals to provide a highly efficient non-invasive treatment for a broad array of difficult-to-treat infections such as Staphylococcus.
Source: http://www.nanomedtech-china.com