Antibiotic resistance has been a global concern, and scientists are now taking a step towards a concept for fabricating nanomeshes as an effective drug delivery system for antibiotics.
Scientists and experts are concerned about the rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Researchers from Flinders University and researchers in Japan have created a nanomesh that can deliver drug treatments.
How nanotechnology was used
To discover the effectiveness of nanomesh, Colistin, and Vancomycin, two types of antibiotics, were added with gold nanoparticles before they were used over a 14-day period. This experiment was lead by PhD. student Melanie Fuller.
Ingo Koeper, a professor from the Flinders Institute for NanoScience and Technology Associate, says that 20cm by 15cm pieces of mesh were made, which has fibers that are 200 nm in diameter. These meshes are made using electrospinning, a process wherein parameters are optimized to make sure that the mesh material is consistent.
To be able to deliver the antibiotics accurately to a specific area, Colistin and Vancomycin were embedded into the mesh that was made by electrospinning. The nanomesh that has Colistin and Vancomycin added with gold nanoparticles has gained interest in the biomedical community because it offers promise in a lot of applications, including drug delivery, wound management, and antibiotic coatings.
A massive voltage is applied between the needle that is connected to the syringe and the collector plate that causes the polymer solution to form a cone shape as it leaves the syringe; the electrostatic then forces the release a jet of liquid.
Nanoparticles that are altered and small charged help the release of the antibiotics from the nanomesh. Adding gold nanoparticles can neutralize the charge, and using the antibiotic to migrate toward the center of the fiber can prolong the release.
The effect on human health
After reviewing the results, it is suggested that doses could be reduced compared to the dosages of traditional drugs, which can also decrease the side effects and complications.
The nanomesh is created to make sure that the concentration of antibiotics can be delivered to the infection site, which is one of the issues that the scientists are facing. They want to make sure that the bacteria can't survive and that it will reduce instances of resistance.
This research suggests an opportunity for experts in fabricating nanomeshes which contain gold nanoparticles as a drug treatment for antibiotics and an answer to antibiotic resistance.
The researchers, including Dr. Harriet Whiley, member of the Flinders environmental health scientists, studied how the release of the drugs had affected the growth of E.Coli. Further investigation is needed to know if other small charged particles can affect the release of drugs and how it will affect the release in the future.
