Athens, Ga. – University
Georgia
researchers have developed an anti-microbial treatment that adheres to the skin
without being toxic.
Already, the treatment has helped heal Spirit, a burned dog
in a high-profile animal cruelty case, and Gasper, a beluga whale at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.
The researchers envision a human application for the
technology, which they’re currently seeking to patent.
Dr. Bran Ritchie, a distinguished research scientist in the
department of small animal medicine and surgery at the UGA College of
Veterinary Medicine, said the compound, known as Tricide, was initially
developed by now retired UGA professor Dr. Richard Wooley to treat burns. It
was later applied to skin lesions on fish and other aquatic animals. Tricide
works by enhancing the effectiveness of antibiotics.
“In the case of burn victims, whether animal or human,
bacteria and fungi can infect the open wounds and kill the patient,” Ritchie
said. “We have found a way to kill those drug-resistant bacteria and fungi with
compounds that cleanse wounds while being gentle on the tissue.”
Combining Tricide with a bioadhesive came about as a result
of collaboration between Ritchie and Tony Capomacchia, an associate professor
in the College of
Pharmacy who specializes
in the formulation of drug delivery systems.
The first noteworthy application of the Tricide bioadhesive
came last year in the treatment of Spirit, the Athens-area dog that was
deliberately set on fire. The researchers are currently using the compound to heal
skin ulcers on a whale named Gasper who was rescued from a Mexico City amusement park and is now a
popular resident of the Georgia Aquarium.
Petroleum-based ointments are commonly used in treating skin
infections, but Capomacchia said that petroleum can be toxic and inhibit
healing,“Using a petroleum product would be like pouring motor oil
into the wound,” he said.
Ritchie found that using an ointment made from vitamin E
kept wounds from dehydrating and promoted healing. He learned that
Capomacchia was also working with vitamin E in transdermal applications, and
their collaboration began.
Ritchie said that the bioadhesive could have numerous human
applications, particularly with swimmers or other athletes and people in
military settings.
“In high-school athletics especially, getting staph
infections from scratches is a huge problem. Our bioadhesive can adhere to wet
skin, cleanse the wound and promote healing,” he said, adding that they’re also
looking at a non-oily gel formulation for use as a combination cleanser and
ointment for killing acne-causing bacteria.
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