September 21, 2016.
A team of researchers from Boston University in the United States has reportedly developed an antibiotic gel that would treat ear infections directly in the ear.
A gel that would pass the eardrum
Treat ear infections with an antibiotic gel that would be applied in the ear, this is the concept on which American researchers are working, according to a study published in the journal Science translational medicine. In the vast majority of cases, ear infections are caused by bacteria that doctors treat with oral antibiotics. But in children, it is not always obvious.
This gel would locally treat otitis media in children. Until now, the gels that had been developed failed to overcome the barrier of the eardrum. Made from ciprofloxacin, this gel, tested on chinchillas, whose ears are identical to those of humans, would have proven its effectiveness in 100% of cases.
Finding an alternative to oral antibiotics
” Finding ear drops that would cure otitis media has long been a goal. ”Says Dr. Daniel Kohane, lead author of the study. ” The new gel we have developed has fats that help the ciprofloxacin antibiotic pass through the eardrum. The drug is then released gradually over a period of more than a week “.
Clinical trials will be necessary to confirm whether this gel is effective in humans and if it does not cause side effects or hearing problems. If the tests go well, thethe first to benefit should be the children.
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