In the healthcare sector, combating the unseen menace of bacterial and viral transmission within hospitals is paramount. An innovative validation technology now offers the potential to make the elusive pathways of these contaminants visible, enabling healthcare professionals to take more effective countermeasures for containment.
Hospital-acquired infections pose significant risks to patients, hindering their healing process and increasing mortality rates. It is essential to differentiate between the body’s inherent microbiomes and external pathogens. The body’s bacteria can potentially exploit the susceptibility created by invasive medical procedures like surgical incisions and catheters, initiating infections. Alternatively, multi-resistant foreign bacteria and viruses, commonly found on fixtures like door handles and washbasins, are often transferred through hand contact.
A breakthrough solution, developed by inventors Robert Grass, Lara Pfuderer, and Wendelin Stark, can expose these pathogens’ transmission routes. This method is based on synthetic nanoparticles that mimic foreign pathogens. Identical in size and dispersal traits, these nanoparticles are completely harmless. During the test, these artificial particles are introduced in patient areas and then traced through swab samples off surfaces.
Pfuderer explains, “We encase DNA tracers within the nanoparticles. These tracers function like barcodes which enable us to identify individual sources and trace their spread.” The synthetic nanoparticles consist of a protective shell, encompassing a tracer substance, comprised of a synthetic DNA sequence resembling a barcode for unique identification. Beneficially, these tracer DNA sequences are derived from fruit, ensuring safety. These DNA tracers are readily detectable, with swab samples capable of capturing traces of DNA from surfaces, identifiable in a PCR device.
Given their extensive deployment during the COVID-19 pandemic, PCR devices are commonly available in medical facilities, enabling hospitals to monitor these tracers locally. By using different tracers, multiple testing campaigns can be executed simultaneously without cross-interference, facilitating the concurrent tracking of varied pathogen sources, or staggered monitoring over time. Grass notes, “Our nanoparticles impressively mirror actual pathogens in terms of transmission routes and vulnerability to disinfectants, without posing any harm.”
The inventors have designed two nanoparticle variations. The first exhibits a robust silica shell resistant to disinfectants, meant for identifying sources and following traces until diluted. The second type is lipid-protected and coated with sugar-glycerin, which responds to disinfectants like actual pathogens, implying a successful pathogen disinfecting also breaks open these nanoparticles. This helps ascertain the disinfectants’ effectiveness by analyzing the proportion of released tracers from ruptured nanoparticles to encased tracers within intact nanoparticles.
After several successful pilot implementations in hospitals, the team is exploring further real-life testing opportunities for this pathbreaking technology. Hugo Sax, who collaborated with the team, exclaimed, “For years, I have been exploring suitable tracers for studying transmission pathways. Fortunately, I came across Robert Grass and his team. Their nanoparticles enabled the first-ever application of this technology for hospital infection prevention. I firmly believe that our interdisciplinary research and development method will expedite the arrival of superior solutions.”
Source: https://statnano.com/news/73955/Tracking-Down-Pathogens-in-Hospitals