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Nanosponge-hydrogel holds potential as treatment for MRSA skin, wound infections
A gel filled with toxin-absorbing nanosponges could help effectively treat skin and wound infections caused by MRSA without the use of antibiotics, according to research published in Advanced Materials.
“Nanosponges alone are difficult to use on local tissues because they diffuse away to other parts of the body very quickly,” Liangfang Zhang, PhD, of the University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, said in a news release. “We combined the strengths of two different materials — nanosponges and hydrogels — to create a powerful formulation to treat local bacterial infections.”
Zhang, along with Fei Wang, a visiting student at the university, and colleagues from other institutions, mixed nanoparticles that absorb toxins produced by MRSA, E. coli and other antibiotic-resistant bacteria into a hydrogel made of water and polymers.
With pores small enough to keep most nanosponges from escaping but large enough for toxins to enter and attach, the hydrogel can hold billions of nanosponges per milliliter in one spot, allowing toxins to be removed at an infected locale, according to the release.
The scientists discovered the nanosponge-hydrogel treatment minimized the growth of skin lesions caused by MRSA infections, with treated lesions on infected mice smaller than those not treated.
“We observed that it absorbed the toxins secreted by the bacteria and prevented further damage to the local blood, skin and muscle tissues,” Zhang said.
After two hours, only 20% of the nanosponges remained at the injection site with the hydrogel vs. 80% without the hydrogel.
Because the treatment does not involve antibiotics, it is unlikely to be affected by existing bacterial antibiotic resistance or cause bacteria to develop new resistance, according to the investigators.
“One way to treat these infections is to remove the toxins, which act as a weapon and a defense shield for the bacteria that produce them,” said Zhang. “We hypothesize that without the toxins, the bacteria become significantly weakened and exposed, allowing the body's immune system to kill them more easily without the use of drugs.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.