IBN and IBM Team Up to Create Superbug-Busting Polymer Nanoparticles

Scientists at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN; Singapore) and IBM Research (Almaden, CA) have developed what they are billing as the first biodegradable polymer nanoparticles for combating drug-resistant superbugs such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Capable of selectively killing the bacteria without destroying healthy red blood cells, these nanoparticles can potentially treat infectious diseases in the body because they are also biodegradable. The scientists' work is reported in the journal Nature Chemistry.

Based on inexpensive starting materials, the polymer is easy to synthesize. The biodegradable nanoparticles, according to the researchers, could perhaps be topically applied to the skin or injected into the body to treat MRSA skin infections. They could also be used to treat wounds, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, and lung infections.

"Our antimicrobial polymers can successfully inhibit the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria without inducing hemolysis or causing significant toxicity because only a low concentration would be required, remarks Yiyan Yang, IBN group leader and one of the project's lead scientists. "In addition, unlike existing polymers that do not form a secondary structure before interacting with the microbial membrane, our polymers can easily self-assemble into nanoparticles when dissolved in water to eradicate the bacteria completely."

"Over the last four years, we've worked with IBN to understand and define a specific problem such as infectious disease and then collaborate on the design and characterization of a new polymer-based solution that improves upon existing treatment options," says James Hedrick, advanced organic materials scientist at IBM Research. "This breakthrough in antimicrobial research represents another example of how scientists are expanding beyond traditional boundaries by applying lessons learned from other research fields. Our combined materials development and bioengineering expertise enabled us to discover a new way to potentially treat infectious diseases."