IBM Nanoparticle Breakthrough Destroys Drug-Resistant Bacteria

A team of engineers and researchers headed by Dr. James Hedrick at IBM Inc. has developed a new technology that could revolutionize how resistant bacterial infections are currently treated.

IBM researchers created a new type of nanoparticles that are capable of destroying the membrane walls of certain drug-resistant bacteria strains, leaving the cells to harmlessly degrade without any trace. The new system works by using biodegradable plastic to engineer electrically charged nanoparticles that in turn attract to the bacteria’s opposite charge, in turn destroying the membrane walls hence the cell entirely.

 Certain types of traditional antibiotic medicines work by blocking certain types of microorganisms that can cause infections from multiplying by interfering with their internal contents, including DNA, or external parts like the membrane wall. Mostly, these medicines work very well in destroying all (which is why it is critical to follow dosage instructions from your physician, and continue to take your prescribed medication even after you feel better) bacteria over the course of treatment, but there are times when not every bacterial cell is killed which could later become drug resistant.

The new breakthrough methodology developed at IBM is able to destroy the cell’s membrane wall, leaving the remaining matter of the cell to safely degrade. Since the molecules of the system are organic, the human body is able to easily dispose of the medicine, unlike certain antibiotics that are not as easily removed by the body hence causing side effects.

The system proved successful in destroying methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria in laboratory tests involving infected mice, according to results published in Nature Chemistry. The system has yet to be tested on humans, but IBM said the company is currently in talks with major pharmaceutical firms looking at creating a human trial, but declined to publically say which specific firms are involved in talks.

MRSA bacterium is common around the world, and it is responsible for millions of deaths resulting from various infections, including respiratory infections.

The new IBM proposed technology could be used to more easily treat stubborn drug resistant microorganisms, having the potential to literally save millions of lives, assuming the technology proves successful in humans.

Dr. Hedrick called the results “extraordinarily promising at this stage.”

Correction: This article incorrectly stated the antibiotic apo amoxicillin works by interfering with a cell’s DNA, that is not correct, rather, other types of antibiotic drugs like bacteriostatic antibiotic drugs work by interfering with DNA.

Update: To review the full report findings from Nature Chemistry, see this comment posted by user “ttsci” on the popular social news website Reddit.com