A new treatment to treat wounds, in the form of a hydrogel, would be able to kill bacteria resistant to antibiotics. It would also increase the natural immune defense of the body. Explanations.
- To protect and heal wounds, researchers have developed a hydrogel capable of killing multiresistant bacteria.
- This hydrogel also strengthens the natural immune defenses of the person applying it.
l does not contain antibiotics and yet it is able to kill bacteria that are resistant to them. Even better, it increases the immune defenses of the person who applies it! This miracle product is a hydrogel whose primary function is to heal wounds… but it is far from being the only one. It was featured in the journal Journal of the American Chemical Society. This is made up of polymers called dendritic macromolecules, that is, polymers – which are molecules of high molecular mass – that have an unusual shape and special properties.
The hydrogel would be effective in killing Staphylococcus aureus
According to the authors, the hydrogel they developed is fully biodegradable and non-toxic. When sprayed on a wound, it forms a flexible dressing that sticks to the wound. Its composition keeps the skin moist, which promotes better healing. Other advantages of this product: its ability to kill multidrug resistant bacteria while reducing wound inflammation. Indeed, to achieve this hydrogel, the scientists tested it on several infectious bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a microorganism that causes acute or chronic infections, sometimes serious and fatal. Result: the hydrogel completely killed Staphylococcus aureus (effectiveness equal to 100%) and almost as much Pseudomonas aeruginosa. According to their tests, the hydrogel would be more effective in killing Staphylococcus aureus than all other hydrogel dressings currently commercially available.
Bacteria do not become resistant to antimicrobial peptides
During the tests, the scientists discovered that the hydrogel did not only kill bacteria… It also allowed a better action of antimicrobial peptides – or endogenous antibiotics – naturally present in human skin cells. Antimicrobial peptides are defense molecules produced in particular by the human body. “These endogenous antibiotics help fight bacteria and eliminate infection, explains Annelie Brauner, one of the authors of the study. Unlike traditional antibiotics, to which bacteria can quickly develop resistance, resistance to antimicrobial peptides is very rare.” Hence the interest in using them because more and more bacteria are resistant to antibiotics, a phenomenon called antibiotic resistance.
A way to fight against antibiotic resistance
The main reason for antibiotic resistance is the misuse of antibiotics. Thus, the bacteria that are often exposed to it evolve and develop defense mechanisms. Antibiotics are then no longer effective in fighting these bacteria. This concerns both pathogenic bacteria and harmless bacteria present in the environment. Resistance from one bacterial species can spread to others. Today, this phenomenon even causes new infections which can sometimes lead to an increase in mortality. “The hydrogel is an exceptional contribution in the fight against multidrug resistant bacteria, especially at the present time when we lack available antibiotics”, concludes Annelie Brauner.
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