A research team led by Professor Kelvin Yeung from the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) has developed a new microneedle patch to provide a highly effective non-antibiotic approach. Treatment of skin infection. In brief, the design developed using ultrasound-responsive zinc-based metal-organic framework (MOF) antibacterial nanoparticles provides pain-free delivery of bacterial infection to skin tissue, while also facilitating skin restoration. does.
The innovative microneedle has a diameter of approximately 50 microns, which is equivalent to a human hair. The findings were reported in the journal Science Advances. Acne is a widespread skin disorder that affects more than 80 percent of adolescents and young adults worldwide. The main reason for this is excessive lipid production, which clogs the hair follicles and creates a hypoxic microenvironment in the skin tissue.
This unfavorable condition promotes the growth of Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) bacteria. Infected pimples, which are considered skin infections, are mostly caused by the P. acnes bacteria, affecting millions of people worldwide. It not only causes severe physical and mental suffering in the sufferers, but it can also turn into a chronic inflammatory disease if not treated properly.
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Non-prescription therapy (such as benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid) or administration of antibiotics orally or topically are commonly used in clinical management. However, such therapies may be useless or even harmful.
In general, the first-line treatment for infected pimples is antibiotics given either orally or topically. However, the therapeutic effect of topical antibiotic treatment is of concern, especially when the drugs pass through skin tissue. Furthermore, when the bacteria are drug-resistant or when they move into the subcutaneous tissue, treatment becomes less effective.
In particular, P. acnes bacteria can secrete extracellular polysaccharides to form a biofilm that prevents attacks initiated by antibacterial agents or immune cells.
Even most microneedle products on the market primarily use pharmaceutical ingredients to treat acne. However, repeated use of antibiotics may reduce the sensitivity of the bacteria to the drugs. Patients who have been affected by acne for a long time will know that the effect of similar treatment products can be significantly reduced after prolonged use.
The HKUMed team has invented a new microneedle patch that facilitates transdermal delivery of ultrasound-responsive antibacterial nanoparticles to treat P. acnes-induced infections over a minimally invasive approach. In the current design, ultrasound-responsive antibacterial nanomaterials are introduced into microneedle patches that respond quickly and efficiently to bacterial infection.
The use of medicines is avoided in the treatment of acne. The modified nanoparticles consisting of ZnTCPP and ZnO are capable of producing sufficient amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) when subjected to ultrasound excitation that can effectively oxidize key cellular macromolecules of bacteria. The results showed that the killing of P. acnes bacteria mediated by ROS could reach 99.73 percent after 15 minutes of ultrasound stimulation.
In addition, levels of inflammatory markers including tumor necrosis factor-A (TNF-A), interleukins (IL), and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are significantly reduced. In addition, the released zinc ions can upregulate DNA replication-related genes, allowing more fibroblasts to grow for better skin repair.
Professor Kelvin Yeung Wai-kwok commented, ‘As a non-antibiotic and transdermal approach, the new microneedle patch enabling ROS generation upon ultrasound stimulation can not only effectively address infection induced by P. acnes bacteria , But also can provide skin convenience. Repair due to zinc ion release. Due to the specific killing mechanism of ROS, we believe this design is also capable of addressing other skin infections induced by fungi, parasites or viruses, such as tinea pedis (aka “athlete’s foot” or “Hong Kong foot”). “(in slang)).’
The research study was led by Professor Kelvin Yeung Wai-kwok, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, HQMed’s School of Clinical Medicine. First author Jiang Yiming is a PhD candidate under the supervision of Professor Yeung. Professor Yeung’s team’s research interests include orthopedic biomaterials, musculoskeletal tissue regeneration and antibacterial infections.