New nanoparticles developed that can be used as bactericidal agents
Researchers from Aragon and Navarra have developed new nanoparticles that can be used as bactericidal agents both in medical and veterinary treatments, reducing the chances for bacteria to acquire permanent resistance by employing simultaneous mechanisms of antimicrobial action, and, additionally, their use is harmless against human cells at the same doses.
This finding, which has just been published in the scientific journal “Small”, has been possible thanks to the close collaboration of a multidisciplinary team of scientists from the Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IIS Aragón), the Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA, joint institute of the CSIC and the University of Zaragoza), and the Instituto de Materiales Avanzados y Matemáticas (INAMAT2) from the Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA).
The new hybrid nanomaterial (gold coated with a cluster of metals) has been shown to be highly effective against Escherichia coli bacteria, being some of their most virulent strains are responsible for intestinal infections, cystitis, pneumonia, bacteraemia and abdominal infections such as peritonitis.
“The search for new antimicrobial approaches to eradicate bacteria without damaging mammalian cells is of vital importance for future pharmacological strategies against infections”, describe the authors of this research, published in the scientific journal “Small”, published by Wiley, and chosen for its inside cover. Luis Gandía Pascual, Santiago Reinoso Crespo and Fernando Almazán Román, as well as Mónica Paesa Morales, Cristina Yus Argón, Víctor Sebastián Cabeza and Manuel Arruebo Gordo (researchers from the University of Zaragoza at the INMA) and Gracia Mendoza Cantos (for the IIS Aragón) sign the article on behalf of the UPNA.
Gold nanoparticles coated with metals
The research team has developed gold nanoparticles coated with a polyoxometalate, a chemical compound consisting of germanium, molybdenum and titanium. This resulting hybrid nanomaterial integrates and enhances the properties of its components and influences the way the nanoparticles interact with their environment, for example by improving their ability to target certain types of bacteria.
“These nanoparticles attack bacterial cells to cause the cell membrane wall to rupture. This causes the leakage of intracellular substances, which leads to the death of the bacteria. In turn, they have a very low cytotoxicity against human cells, which would make them viable for medical or veterinary treatments,’ says the research team.
Against bacterial resistance
In their work, the research team has found “an exceptional and selective bactericidal effect” for gram-negative bacteria, those whose outer membrane gives them particular characteristics, such as increased resistance to certain antibiotics and disinfectants. Specifically, the effectiveness has been proven with the bacterium E. coli. “This work has shown that these new antibiotic nanomaterials show a similar bactericidal activity than current antibiotics, but reducing the chances for the bacteria to acquire permanent resistance, as they have multiple mechanisms of antimicrobial action, thus preventing bacteria from adapting to a single target,” says Ismael Pellejero, a researcher at the UPNA.
Article: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/smll.202470051
14-03-2024
