New Options for Targeting Fungal Infections

Infections caused by fungi, such as Candida albicans, pose a significant global health risk due to their resistance to existing treatments, so much so that the World Health Organization has highlighted this as a priority issue.

Now, in a groundbreaking development with far-reaching implications for global health, a team of researchers jointly led by Hyun (Michel) Koo of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine and Edward Steager of Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science has created a microrobotic system capable of rapid, targeted elimination of fungal pathogens.

“Candidae forms tenacious biofilm infections that are particularly hard to treat,” Koo says. “Current antifungal therapies lack the potency and specificity required to quickly and effectively eliminate these pathogens, so this collaboration draws from our clinical knowledge and combines Ed’s team and their robotic expertise to offer a new approach.”

The team of researchers is a part of Penn Dental’s Center for Innovation & Precision Dentistry, an initiative that leverages engineering and computational approaches to uncover new knowledge for disease mitigation and advance oral and craniofacial health care innovation.

For this paper, published in Advanced Materials, the researchers capitalized on recent advancements in catalytic nanoparticles, known as nanozymes, and they built miniature robotic systems that could accurately target and quickly destroy fungal cells. They achieved this by using electromagnetic fields to control the shape and movements of these nanozyme microrobots with great precision.

Steager’s team developed the motion, velocity, and formations of nanozymes, which resulted in enhanced catalytic activity, much like the enzyme peroxidase, which helps break down hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. This directly allows the generation of high amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS), compounds that have proven biofilm-destroying properties, at the site of infection.

However, the truly pioneering element of these nanozyme assemblies was an unexpected discovery: their strong binding affinity to fungal cells. This feature enables a localized accumulation of nanozymes precisely where the fungi reside and, consequently, targeted ROS generation.

Coupled with the nanozyme’s inherent maneuverability, this results in a potent antifungal effect, demonstrating the rapid eradication of fungal cells within an unprecedented 10-minute window.

Looking forward, the team sees the potential of this unique nanozyme-based robotics approach, as they incorporate new methods to automate control and delivery of nanozymes. The promise it holds for antifungal therapy is just the beginning. Its precise targeting, rapid action suggest potential for treating other types of stubborn infections.

This robotics approach opens up a new frontier in the fight against fungal infections and marks a pivotal point in antifungal therapy. With a new tool in their arsenal, medical and dental professionals are closer than ever to effectively combating these difficult pathogens.

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Sources:

Min Jun Oh, Seokyoung Yoon, Alaa Babeer, Yuan Liu, Zhi Ren, Zhenting Xiang, Yilan Miao, David P. Cormode, Chider Chen, Edward Steager, Hyun Koo. Nanozyme‐based robotics approach for targeting fungal infection. Advanced Materials, 2023; DOI: 10.1002/adma.202300320

University of Pennsylvania. (2023, May 26). Nanorobotic system presents new options for targeting fungal infections. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 30, 2023 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/05/230526142239.htm
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