Phytoglycogen nanoparticles as antibacterial drug delivery agents

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PhytospherixTM nanoparticles are a proprietary biomaterial generated by Mirexus Inc. (Guelph, ON) from Ontario-grown sweet corn, and are natural, biodegradable, non-toxic and edible. These desirable properties can be used in a wide range of applications for nutraceuticals, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, all of which must meet stringent regulatory requirements. The high density of active surface hydroxyl groups results in a unique combination of properties, such as very fast dissolution in water, low viscosity in aqueous solutions up to 25 % and shear thinning effects at higher concentrations. PhytospherixTM can be modified to carry antibiotics. The ability to tune its uniform surface chemistry can be exploited to ensure high efficacy as a carrier. This last feature is especially pertinent because few new antibiotics are anticipated to enter the market. This is a globally-recognised concern since pathogenic bacteria continue to develop resistance to most commercially available antibiotics. Furthermore, certain pathogenic bacteria can infect and survive as intracellular pathogens within host cells, including those cells of the immune system that are supposed to kill them. Once inside the cell, pathogens are more protected; higher antibiotics doses are needed to kill the internalised bacteria yet such high doses are often undesirable. Strong interest in novel antimicrobials has driven research in nano-enabled delivery systems. Such systems offer numerous benefits - reductions in dosage and systemic toxicity, increased bioavailability, targeted delivery, and controlled release. Mirexus has the in-house capability to produce high quality samples and to conjugate a wide variety of bioactive materials to PhytospherixTM but lacks the expertise and facilities to assess the antimicrobial properties of the proposed conjugates. The company seeks to address this by establishing a collaborative partnership with scientific expertise in the areas of microbial physiology, bacteria-nanoparticle material interactions and antimicrobials, and access to research facilities. Accessing these capabilities is vital to assess the commercialization potential of PhytospherixTM as a drug delivery agent.