Artificial skin can support antibiotic resistance

In the last few years, we have seen microneedle-equipped patches designed to aid in painless injections of targeted fat-delivery insulin for the body. Now, scientists at Queen's University Belfast are developing a patch that they believe could slow the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

"One of the biggest problems is that most of these drugs are for drinking or vaccination," said lead scientist Ryan Donnelly, speaking about antibiotics. "This means that a small amount of the compound in antibiotics will often find its way into the colon, creating the perfect reproductive basis for resistant bacteria . "

That's why the artificial leather has just been released recently.

Its underside consists of an array of small, painless, microneedles that penetrate the top layer of skin when applied. The needles in this fabric are then harmless dissolved, releasing antibiotics directly into the blood.

This patch has been tested on 10 volunteers, in a placebo form. It will be checked next to see if it is possible to provide the right dose of antibiotics when it is working.

Donnelly said: "We hope to see this unique antibiotic patch that will prevent the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. If we succeed, this approach will extend the life of antibiotics. Currently, allowing for more time to develop antibiotics of the next generation, and doing this has the potential to save many lives, it greatly reduces the side effects when using antibiotics " .

See more:

1. 3 antibiotic resistant viruses have almost no drugs to treat
2. How to use antibiotics effectively?
3. 10 reasons why antibiotic resistance is scary right now