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Scientists say they have made a "nanomedicine breakthrough" by creating "antifungal nanofibers" from recycled plastic materials that are able to target and attack specific fungal infections. This is according to a study published in the journal Nature Communications.
Researchers from the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), based in the US, and the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) in Singapore, say they created the technology by converting plastic materials such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) - commonly used in plastic bottles - into non-toxic biocompatible materials that act as "antifungal agents."
Fungal infections are extremely common all over the world and cover a broad number of conditions. Mild fungal infections include athlete's foot, a rash or a mild respiratory illness. But other fungal infections, such as fungal pneumonia or bloodstream infection, can be severe.
According to the researchers, a person is more likely to develop a fungal infection if they possess an altered immune system as a result of antibiotic treatment, or have conditions such as HIV/AIDS or cancer.
Although there are antifungal drugs available to treat these infections, there is the issue of drug resistance.
The investigators explain that traditional antifungal drugs work by attempting to get into cells to attack the infection. However, the drugs find it difficult to target and break through the membrane wall of the fungi.
They also note that fungi are similar to mammalian cells in terms of metabolism. This means the antifungal drugs that are currently used have difficulty determining the difference between infected and healthy cells.
With these factors in mind, the investigators looked to develop a new antifungal agent that could combat the issue of drug resistance.
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Recycled plastic turned into 'nanofibers' to attack fungal infection