Curcaaza: An effective topical nanogel to help tackle antibiotic resistance

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Presenter Information(s)

Vedanth Raju

Abstract or Description

WHO has listed Antimicrobial resistance and resulting infections caused by the superbugs such as Methicilllin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus and Multidrug resistant Pseudomonas as one of the top global health threats, estimating 10 million deaths annually by 2050 equaling the number of deaths caused by cancer. Excessive antibiotics usage is one of the main reasons for the emergence of antibiotic resistance. Developing new antibiotics takes time and is costly. Creating novel antimicrobial therapeutics using existing resources that are safe and effective is necessary.

As a solution to the above problem, I have created a topical antimicrobial I named CURCAZA using two plant based ingredients :1) Curcumin, an extract from turmeric root 2) Azadirachtin, extracted from Neem leaves. Both these natural products are known to have antibiotic, anti-inflammatory properties that help treat infections.

I extracted curcumin from turmeric root (Curcuma longa) powder and Neem extract from Neem leaves.

We used Curcumin and Neem nanoparticles to improve their water solubility and absorption.

My special interest is using this drug to prevent and treat diabetic foot infections (DFI) from foot ulcers. It is a very common problem in diabetics with annual cases ranging from 9.1- 26 million worldwide according to NIH. I tested my drug against some of the most common bacteria causing DFI including staphylococcus, streptococcus, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa etc. I used kirby Bauer disc diffusion method to test the susceptibility of these pathogens to my drug. Results were very promising with Curcaza being highly effective in killing all the tested bacteria.