Prevention of infection with multidrug-resistant pathogens via in vivo UVC irradiation.

VIMRE

The increasing resistance of bacteria to antibiotics leads to nosocomial infections caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens (MRE) in about 30,000 patients per year in Germany alone, 11,000 of them by multidrug-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). A promising physical principle of action that destroys the bacterial cell is irradiation with UVC light. It can be applied wherever this radiation can reach microorganisms. Short wavelengths in the range below 230 nm are necessary for this. Due to its high absorption, this short-wave light does not penetrate deeply into the skin, including mucous membrane and wounds, and thus does not damage living skin cells. It can therefore be used to kill MRE without causing side effects. Resistance is not to be feared. In the present subproject, possible damage to excised human skin and reconstructed skin models, as well as excerpts from mucosa models, by 230 nm LED radiation will be examined. Positive and negative controls will be included. As a negative control, a 222 nm Eximer lamp is used, which does not emit any wavelengths greater than 230 nm. No damage is expected here. A Hg vapor lamp and a UVB lamp are used as positive controls. If the results show no significant damage at 230 nm but a biocidal effect, a compatibility test is performed in vivo on healthy volunteers.

Duration: 08/2019 - 03/2022

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