Bacteria beware: MIT student invents knock-out punch for antibiotic ...(reatment methods to penetrate biofilms c...),Health

Lu invented enzymatically-active bacteriophage that directly target the infection site, where they can simultaneously penetrate the biofilms protective slime layer and kill the bacteria underneath. Think of it as a Trojan Horse, he explained. First you sneak into the bacteria and use it to overproduce enzymes precisely where they are needed most in order to overwhelm and break up the biofilm slime. Once the slime is disrupted, the bacteriophage then move in and kill the bacteria.

As a physician who has treated patients with resistant bacterial infections, I am well aware of the devastating effect they have on morbidity and mortality, added Collin M. Stultz, associate professor of biomedical engineering in the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, and one of Lus recommenders for the award. Tim has developed a series of methods that can be used to treat such problematic infections.

In tests, Lus platform proved greater than 99.997 percent effective at destroying biofilms a significant improvement over current treatment options. The ultimate goal is to develop a sustainable source of antibacterial therapies that are effective and easy to produce at low cost, and will last us through the 21st century, said Lu.

According to Lu, his engineered enzymatically-active bacteriophage could be initially applied in food processing settings to kill food-borne bacteria, such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) that contaminate spinach and cause severe illness when ingested. In line with these hopes, there is evidence that U.S. regulatory authorities are warming up to the therapeutic use of bacteriophage. For example, in 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first U.S.
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