Certain strains of E. coli can outcompete disease-causing microbes for resources.
For the microbes living in people, nutrients are limited, and their presence varies between different parts of the body. Bacteria have to. When harmful bacteria are starved of important nutrients, they aren’t able to reach high enough numbers to cause disease.
Delivering beneficial bacteria to the bladder to prevent UTIs in challenging, though. For one, these helpful bacteria can naturally colonize only in people who areThis microscopy image shows the bladder of a mouse covered with E. coli and the white blood cells attacking them. Since beneficial bacteria cannot attach to and survive in the bladder for long, we developed a biomaterial that could slowly release bacteria in the bladder over time..
We tested our biomaterial by placing it in human urine in petri dishes and exposing it to bacterial pathogens that cause UTIs. Our results showed that when mixed in a 50:50 ratio, theUTIs can be painful. in humans and animals. This means scientists might not need to identify different types of beneficial bacteria to control each pathogen – and there are many – that can cause a UTI.
Our team is currently evaluating how effectively our biomaterial can cure UTIs in mice. We are also working to identify the specific nutrients that beneficial and harmful bacteria compete over and what factors may help beneficial bacteria win. We could add these nutrients to our biomaterial to be released or withheld.
This research is still at an early stage, and clinical uses are not in development yet, so if it does reach patients, it will be well in the future. We hope that our technology could be refined and applied to control other bacterial infections and some
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
New Technique Gives Hope to Millions Who Experience Chronic UTIsThe Best in Science News and Amazing Breakthroughs
Read more »
Just Call It 'Chronic Rhinitis' and Reach for These TreatmentsAllergic rhinitis? Nonallergic rhinitis? It's all chronic rhinitis, and the drugs you recommend could differ (but not always) depending on the cause.
Read more »
Health Report: Chronic Disease Report emphasizes risk of Alaskans developing chronic illnessesMany adults and adolescents in Alaska are at risk of developing chronic diseases due to unhealthy habits.
Read more »
New Antibiotic Hits the Market to Tackle Stubborn UTIsThe Food and Drug Administration has approved Iterum Therapeutics' Orlynvah, the first drug of its kind, which is designed to treat certain UTIs resistant to other drugs.
Read more »
Primary Care Physicians Underutilize Nonantibiotic Prophylaxis for Recurrent UTIsNonantibiotic prophylactic options for UTIs such as methenamine hippurate remain significantly underutilized, especially for menopausal women.
Read more »
Diagnostic tampon can detect STIs, UTIs and yeast infections without office visitWomen’s health startup Daye is selling a “vaginal microbiome test” in the form of a tampon that users wear and mail back for screening — and it can detect everything from infectio…
Read more »