Photodynamic inactivation of Bacterial Pneumonia with nebulization of the photosensitizer and extracorporeal illumination

• Grant number: 18/18188-0
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): May 01, 2019
• Effective date (End): August 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biophysics - Radiology and Photobiology
• Principal Investigator: Vanderlei Salvador Bagnato
• Grantee: Giulia Kassab
• Home Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/07276-1 - CEPOF - Optics and Photonic Research Center, AP.CEPID

Abstract

This project aims to solve, in an unconventional matter, the problem of pulmonary infections that do not respond to antibiotics. Pneumonia is one of the largest causes of death worldwide, and it is mainly caused by bacteria. Due to the difficulty in the development and approval of new antibiotics, and the speed in which resistant strains appear, the search for treatments that are effective, safe, and to which there is no resistance becomes urgent. The Photodynamic Inactivation (PDI) of microorganisms presents itself as an excellent alternative, since there has not been any description of development of resistance to it since its discovery in 1900. Over the past 5 years, our research group has studied the applicability of PDI in the treatment of bacterial Pneumonia, using the photosensitizer Indocyanine Green (ICG) and extracorporeal activation with infrared light. So far, we have demonstrated the principle in vitro and in a murine model, established a pulmonary delivery method for ICV that is suitable for clinical use, and showed the extracorporeal delivery of light in bigger animals. This project proposes to give the next steps required for the protocol to become a clinical treatment. That includes the optimization of the parameters in the murine model, the validation in the porcine model and, if possible, the first clinical case. This research shall have great scientific and social impact. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

KASSAB, GIULIA; CHEBURKANOV, VSEVOLOD; WILLIS, JACE; MOULE, MADELEINE G.; KURACHI, CRISTINA; YAKOVLEV, VLADISLAV; CIRILLO, JEFFREY D.; BAGNATO, VANDERLEI S. Safety and delivery efficiency of a photodynamic treatment of the lungs using indocyanine green and extracorporeal near infrared illumination. Journal of Biophotonics, AUG 2020. Web of Science Citations: 0.