(NHI Nanoblog) Stubborn bacteria that resist treatment with traditional antibiotics could be quashed by drugs wrapped in nanofibers, according to a Saudi Arabian research team.
Using a “nanospider” technique to encapsulate the antibiotics inside wispy nanofibers makes the bacteria much more responsive to treatment, said lead researcher Mohamed H. El-Newehy of King Saud University. He presented his team’s findings at the recent annual meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Wrapping the drug seems to make it more effective, El-Newehy said during a brief press conference. (Watch the video here). The application seems to have the most promise as a wound dressing, he said, to prevent or treat infection.
“Nanofibers have no effect alone against the microbial cell,” he said. “The nanofiber is working only to deliver the drug.”
Disease-resistant bacteria, such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, are a big problem for the medical field. But developing new antibiotics is expensive. El-Newehy said the nanowrapping technique could be a solution without a big price tag.
The fibers are made of polyvinyl alcohol and polyethylene oxide, spun by a “nanospider” machine. El-Newehy’s team tested their substance against a number of bacteria that are showing resistance to existing drugs, including the dangerous E. coli.
Nanomaterials like these fibers leverage the often amazing properties created by shrinking materials to the super-small atomic scale (a nanometer is a billionth of an inch). These materials can make bike frames lighter and stronger and sunscreen more transparent on the skin, as well as new medical instruments and medicines that can save lives.
There is broad agreement that nanomaterials hold great promise for a wide variety of applications. But shrinking these substances can change their properties, and scientists are struggling to figure out whether, how and why that shift can make them dangerous in the process.