Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Changchun, China, have created a new band-aid- like dressing that can change color when it detects antibiotic-sensitive bacteria in skin wounds. In the presence of these bacteria, this new dressing turns yellow, and in addition to warning about infection in the wound, it also releases antibiotics to heal the wounds more quickly.
In situations where the bacterium present in the wound is resistant to the antibiotic, the new dressing is colored closer to red and, in these cases, light therapy is applied, which combats this resistant bacteria, weakening its action, helping to heal the wound on the skin.
This study was done only in mice and therefore has not yet been approved by the competent organs for use in people, however the researchers believe that soon this new dressing can be applied to humans.
How the study was done
A study by researchers in China, at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, began to be carried out a few years ago, out of concern about the accelerated emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the consequent difficulties in treating infections, which cause health threats of people.
With that in mind, Chinese researchers have developed a new dressing capable of detecting sensitive and antibiotic-resistant bacteria early. This dressing is made with products that change color when they come into contact with substances produced by bacteria, such as enzymes and toxins, and when these bacteria cause changes in the skin's pH.
Based on the indication of the colors presented in the dressing, treatment is carried out to eliminate the infection in the wound and heal the wound, which may be through the release of antibiotics or therapy with light rays.
How the new dressing works
The new dressing developed in China is similar to a band-aid and can be easily placed on the skin lesion. When the dressing detects the presence of bacteria sensitive to antibiotics, a chemical reaction occurs, changing from green to yellow, while releasing materials made with ampicillin, to eliminate these bacteria more quickly and help the skin heal.
If the detected bacteria are resistant to the dressing's antibiotic, the color changes from green to red immediately, and in these cases, photodynamic therapy is performed, in which light rays are applied to weaken and kill these bacteria present in the wound.
In addition, this dressing allows a quick assessment of the skin lesion, around 4 hours, avoiding the multiplication of bacteria, making healing more efficient and does not cause any side effects.
What remains to be sold
Despite being a promising dressing for the rapid detection and treatment of infections in lesions, this new color-changing dressing cannot yet be marketed for use in humans, as tests have only been done on laboratory mice, with specific bacteria, from the like Escherichia coli.
However, the study's researchers are confident that new tests will soon be possible and that they will soon have the opportunity to request authorization from competent bodies responsible for approving new therapies. In the meantime, here are some steps to heal a wound faster.
