Seaweed plan for antimicrobial therapies
Friday June 9th, 2017
Researchers in the UK hope their studies into alginates – a component
in seaweed – could help to tackle multi-drug resistant infections.
A team from Cardiff University’s School of Dentistry have shown
how alginates could disrupt the formation of microbial biofilms.
They have used it to develop an inhalation therapy, which is being tested
on cystic fibrosis patients, they report.
If trials on the therapy, which helps to clear mucus obstructions in
the lungs and potentially slow the progression of the disease, are successful,
it could be used in other more common respiratory diseases such as chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease.
The studies are also paving the way towards improved treatment of chronic
non-healing skin wounds and fighting organisms that cause conditions
such as gum disease.
Professor David Thomas, who is leading the research, said: “Our
research allowed us to derive material from the natural world with powerful
abilities to modify bacterial behaviour, making them more susceptible
to antibiotic treatment, and to improve the properties of mucus in patients
with lung disease.
“These findings are being applied to the development of alternative
treatment approaches for challenging and hard-to-treat diseases.”
The university researchers began working on the project after receiving
a small grant from Norwegian biopharmaceutical company AlgiPharma in
2007 for exploratory microbiology studies. It has since developed into
a nine-year collaboration between the university’s Advanced Therapies
Group (ATG), AlgiPharma and Cardiff & Vale University Health Board.
Phil Rye, research and development director at AlgiPharma, said: “The
collaboration has enabled us to make significant advances in the development
of a new drug, which is now in human clinical studies, and has recently
been included in the US Cystic Fibrosis Foundation drug development pipeline.”
The project is a winning finalist in this year’s Cardiff University’s
2017 Innovation and Impact Awards.
Tags: Respiratory | UK
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