Antibiotics wrapped in nanofibers allows them to eliminate drug-resistant bacteria leaving only a ghost behind, says a report released at the 241st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
According to Mohamed H. El-Newehy, who led the research team, the technology can help combat infections that do not respond to antibiotics. It involves injecting common antibiotics into nanofibers of polyvinyl alcohol and polyethylene oxide. These are wisps of nano-material. Nanofibers are not visible under a microscope. Their high surface area to weight ratio endows them with special characteristics that have led to research on their use in wound dressings, medical textiles, antibacterial materials that monitor post-operative inflammation, and drug delivery platforms.
The team used lab cultures of various microbes to wrap the antibiotics in the fibers. This technique proved efficient in combating bacteria and fungi, such as Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The microbes were damaged. The fibers raised the power of the antibiotics. The procedure makes the drug focus better and the agents’ work last longer.
Source: http://www.ksu.edu.sa/