Resistance – resistance of strains of causative agents of common infections (gonorrhea, pneumonia, tuberculosis, etc.) to the effects of antibiotics has become a serious problem of modern medicine. In the US alone it affects up to 2 million people and their number is steadily growing.
In an attempt to eliminate the scientists of the University of Colorado has decided to strengthen the “offensive power” of antibiotics with a carefully selected quantum dots (nanoparticles of conductors or semiconductors) that are activated by light waves of a certain length. For a long time they were used as dyes in the experiments related to photoelectronics, but as it turned out, quantum dots are capable of more.
In combination with antibiotics points of the cadmium telluride begins to secrete superoxide is a chemical element that blocks the metabolism of bacteria, which under normal conditions activates their protective functions. As a result, the immune system of bacteria is reduced 1000 times, after which will come into effect antibiotics destroy the weakened bacteria.
During the experiments, antibiotic in conjunction with quantum dots was able to suppress the growth of resistant bacteria or to kill them completely in 75% of cases. Now, on the basis of these results, scientists hope to develop new technologies to combat the various dangerous infections.
Source — Science