Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine have shown that nanoparticles containing nitric oxide (NO) gas are effective in the topical treatment of drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in mice. “As the particles take on water, they loosen up and the nitric oxide slowly trickles out, releasing specific amounts of the gas—which is exactly what happens in your body," said a senior author of the study. NO is produced normally by many cells throughout the body and has several important biological functions including killing bacteria, healing wounds, and increasing blood flow by dilating blood vessels. Until now, however, the delivery of NO to infection sites has proven difficult. S. aureus bacteria cause the majority of superficial and invasive skin infections, resulting in more than 11 million outpatient/emergency room visits and 464,000 hospital admissions annually in the U.S. S. aureus infections can be deadly if the bacteria invade the bloodstream, heart, lungs, or urinary tract. As more strains of S. aureus become resistant to common antibiotics, the need for new treatments has become urgent. The encouraging results in mice, followed by additional experiments, may pave the way for clinical trials in humans. [Press release]Login Or Register To Read Full Story