Researchers have developed a microgel scavenger that specifically targets toxins released from bacteria in the gut. This method could help reduce the use of antibiotics by treating the negative effects of infection while leaving the bacteria intact. The findings will be presented today at the 255th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society.
The technique was inspired by a particle created by scientists three decades ago that used electronic charge to bind toxins in the intestine. The treatment made it to the clinical testing stage but had too many non-specific targets for progress to continue.
The researchers revisited the idea starting with C. difficile as their target. C. difficile produces several toxins, including the protein lectin, which was used as a target for microgel binding. The microgels consist of a polyethylene glycol matrix produced with microfluidic technology, allowing the toxin-binding molecules to be directly incorporated into the matrix. In lab tests, microgels with a glycan motif similar to the ones lectins bind to in cells were able to successfully take up lectin molecules.
In future research, the team plans to incorporate molecules into the microgels that can degrade and inactivate the toxins.
Image: Microgels are shown above with sugar motifs after binding fluorescently labeled lectins. Image courtesy of Alexander Kuehne.