Researchers at IBM and the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology have discovered a nanomedicine. Types of polymers in the nanomedicine identified and destroyed bacteria resistant to antibiotics and infectious diseases such as Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that is resistant to Methicillin.
The nanostructures attract infected cells, helping to destroy the bacteria without harming the surrounding healthy cells and tissues. They pierce the bacterial cell wall and membrane to disallow the bacteria from becoming drug resistant. MRSA exists on the skin and can be contracted from public areas. MRSA caused almost 95,000 serious infections in 2005.
The nanostructures are bio-degradable. It can either be injected into the body or applied under skin to treat skin infections to heal wounds, and treat tuberculosis and lung infections. The polymers assemble into a new structure when they come in contact with water in or on the body to deal with bacteria membranes founded on electrostatic interaction and rupture through their cell membranes and walls. This physical action inhibits bacteria from developing resistance to these nanoparticles. Since they are biodegradable it leads to increasing their uses as they are expelled from the body through a natural process.
The State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine and Zhejiang University in China have tested the polymers against laboratory microbial prototypes. The research paper has been published in Nature Chemistry.
Source: http://www.ibm.com/