Researchers at Penn Dental and Penn Engineering have developed a new way to quickly eliminate fungal infections in the mouth using magnetically guided nanorobots.
Infections caused by fungi, such as Candida albicans, represent a major global health risk due to their resistance to existing treatments, which is why the World Health Organization made it a priority problem.
Although nanomaterials show promise as agents of antibiotics, current iterations lack the power and specificity necessary for rapid and targeted therapy, resulting in long treatment times and side effects that -non-useful and resistant to drugs.
Now, in an ever-expanding development that has major implications for global health, a team of researchers led by Hyun (Michel) Koo of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dentistry and Edward Steager of Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science has developed A microrobotic system that can quickly remove and eliminate fungal infections.
“Candida form a severe biofilm infection that is difficult to treat,” Koo says. “Current antifungal therapy does not have the power and specificity required to eliminate these viruses quickly and effectively. Therefore this collaboration is based on our clinical knowledge and combines Ed’s team with his expertise in robotics to provide new approaches.
This research group is part of Penn Dental’s Center for Innovation & Precision Dentistry, an initiative that uses engineering and computational methods to reveal new insights into disease reduction and promote innovation in oral and craniofacial health care.
For this paper, published in Advanced Materials, the researchers focused on recent advances in catalytic nanoparticles, called nanozymes, and built a small robotic system that can accurately target and destroy fast fungal cells. They achieved this by using electromagnetic fields to precisely control the shape and movement of these nanozyme microrobots.
“The method we use to control the nanoparticles in this study is magnetic, which allows us to direct them to the site of infection,” says Steager. “We use iron oxide nanoparticles, which have another important feature, which is that they make the body stronger.”
Steager’s team developed the movement, speed, and structure of nanozymes, which increased the catalytic activity, as did the enzyme peroxidase, which helps to break down hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. This helps in the generation of large reactive oxygen species (ROS), compounds that have been shown to be destructive agents, at the site of infection.
However, the main pioneering feature of these nanozyme assemblies is unexpected: their high affinity to fungal cells. This feature allows collecting nanozymes specifically where fungi live and, therefore, target ROS generation.
“Our nanozyme assembly shows remarkable affinity to fungal cells, especially compared to human cells,” says Steager. “This specific interaction paves the way for strong and targeted antifungal effects without affecting other non-infected areas.”
Combined with the activity of the nanozyme, this results in a strong antifungal effect, demonstrating the rapid elimination of fungal cells within an unprecedented 10-minute window.
Looking to the future, the team sees the potential of this unique nanozyme-based robotic approach, as it includes new ways to automate nanozyme management and delivery. Its promise of antifungal treatment is just the beginning. His good intentions and quickness show the ability to treat other types of stubborn diseases. ”
We’ve discovered a powerful tool in the fight against fungal infections,” says Koo. “What we’ve achieved here is a big step forward, but it’s only the first step. Magnetic and catalytic properties combined with unexpected fungal interactions open up exciting opportunities for automated “strategy-killing” immune systems. We hope to deepen it and bring out its full potential.
This robotic system opens up new frontiers in the fight against fungal infections and marks a revolution in antifungal therapy. With new tools in their arsenal, medical and dental professionals are closer than ever to effectively combating these difficult pathogens.
Source: University of Pennsylvania
