Antibiotic resistance: the silent pandemic
Bacteria can cause dangerous infections after eye surgery. Particularly feared are antibiotic-resistant germs, which are almost impossible to treat and can lead to the loss of the eye. In the "Nanovision" project, researchers at Empa and the Cantonal Hospital of St. Gallen are developing novel nanocomplexes that kill resistant germs and protect the eye tissue at the same time.
In cataracts, a clouding of the lens of the eye leads to a progressive loss of visual acuity. Around 17 million people worldwide are blind due to this eye condition. Cataract surgery provides a remedy and is therefore one of the most common surgical procedures on the eye. Complications such as an infection inside the eye occur in less than one percent of patients. However, as the procedure is performed millions of times, the group of people affected is correspondingly large. Such an infection is particularly feared when it involves antibiotic-resistant bacteria and conventional medication is no longer effective. Researchers at Empa and the Cantonal Hospital of St. Gallen are therefore developing so-called nanocomplexes that kill resistant germs and protect the eye tissue. The "Nanovision" project was made possible by funding from the "Heinz A. Oertli Fund".
Blocking bacterial toxins
If left untreated, the infection inside the eye, endophthalmitis, can lead to severe pain and even loss of the affected eye. Bacterial toxins and tissue-damaging defense reactions of the body are to blame. High-dose antibiotics injected into the eyeball can help - but only if the germs causing the infection are not resistant to the active ingredients. And this is where the problem lies: the typical endophthalmitis bacteria, staphylococci and enterococci, are among the pathogens for which antibiotics are particularly ineffective today.
"We want to combat this problem with novel nanocomplexes," says Empa researcher Mihyun Lee from the "Biointerfaces" laboratory in St. Gallen. These tiny molecular compounds are being developed on the basis of tannin, a plant tannin with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, the nanocomplexes are equipped with toxin blockers and antimicrobial protein building blocks (AMP) that kill bacteria. The combination results in a multifunctional nanotherapeutic that protects the eye tissue, blocks bacterial toxins and eliminates germs. Finally, the "Nanovision" team will analyze how efficiently the nanocomplexes work in an infection model using tissue cultures from patients.
Heinz A. Oertli Fund promotes young talent
The "Nanovision" project was made possible by funding from the Heinz A. Oertli Fund. This fund has already supported other research teams. For example, Empa researchers are developing an intelligent valve for the treatment of glaucoma that regulates intraocular pressure. A team from Empa and ETH Zurich is working on a soldering process that can be used to gently seal eye wounds. And in another project, young researchers are working on a nature-inspired tissue adhesive that uses the adhesive properties of marine mussels to seamlessly close corneal injuries.
