UNITED STATES: A team of scientists from the University of Florida has made groundbreaking discoveries in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The researchers discovered that a combination of silver nanoparticles and antibiotics is effective against bacteria that have developed resistance to antibiotics.
The team hopes to turn this discovery into a viable treatment for some types of antibiotic-resistant infections, which kill over a million people globally each year.
Silver has long been known for its antimicrobial properties. Still, the study found that silver nanoparticles, which are basically microscopic spheres of silver, work synergistically with a common class of broad-spectrum antibiotics called aminoglycosides.
The researchers found that adding silver nanoparticles decreased the quantity of antibiotics needed to inhibit bacteria by 22-fold, making the drug much more potent.
The silver nanoparticles also showed the potential to reduce the adverse side effects associated with antibiotics.
Overuse of antibiotics over the past several decades has led to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, reducing the effectiveness of traditional antibiotics.
The study’s findings indicate that silver nanoparticles can potentially renew the effectiveness of these drugs.
The researchers used a microscopic worm called C. elegans to confirm that the silver nanoparticles did not increase the toxicity of antibiotics to non-bacterial cells.
The scientists are now seeking FDA authorization for clinical trials and working with UF Innovate to patent an antimicrobial product that uses silver nanoparticles.
Autumn Dove, the study’s first author, says when she first saw the result, her thoughts were, “Wow, this works.”
The study’s results were surprising and exciting, and the scientists are confident that their findings could help combat the growing threat of antibiotic-resistant infections.
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