The scientists have reported their research findings to the 256th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, which took place in mid-August 2018. The meeting attracted around estimated 13,000 chemists, chemical engineers, academicians, graduate and undergraduate students, and other related professionals.
MRSA is responsible for several difficult-to-treat infections in humans. MRSA infections mainly affect people who are staying in hospital. Infections can be serious. Treatment is through antibiotics, but there is a growing concern that some types of pathogenic bacteria are increasingly resistant to antibiotics.
Commenting on the research to Biotechniques.com, lead researcher Professor Peng Zhang, from the University of Cincinnati, said: “Instead of resorting to antibiotics, which no longer work against some bacteria like MRSA, we use photosensitizers, mostly dye molecules, that become excited when illuminated with light.”
Photodynamic inactivation of bacteria is considered as one of the promising approaches to overcome the problem of drug resistance. The process utilizes a photosensitizer, oxygen, and light of appropriate wavelength.
There is also a potential future application with the technology in terms of treating cancer by oxidizing cancerous cells. The technology is being developed in both gel and spray form.
Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle, Pharmaceutical Microbiology
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