EH 4_2015

Our 2015 MEDICA Highlights 9th -10th October 2015 Attend our Open House in Berlin on 9th and 10th October 2015 For registering and further information: scan the QR code or visit www.hs-openhouse.de Key Topics: • Cardiovascular diagnostics, sonography, instrument reprocessing, gynaecology, and many more • The digital and networked medical practice Continuing education courses for medical practitioners € 20.00 trade fair discount voucher (redeemable on the days of the trade fair) 28th Open House in Berlin HENRY SCHEIN Medical GmbH Alt-Moabit 90 b • 10559 Berlin • Phone: +49 (0) 30 - 311 01 530 Anzeige-European-Hospital.indd 1 28.07.15 17:16 www.healthcare-in-europe.com 23INFECTION CONTROL nanotechnology ective Dr Eduard Torrents from the Catalan Bioengineering Institute observed the potential role of nano- medicine, which applies nanotech- nology tools such as atomic force microscopy, scanning tunnelling microscopy and dip pen nanolithog- raphy to infectious diseases. Nano-delivery products are helpful Nanoparticles (NPs) are particularly helpful in drug delivery because they are soluble and bio avail- able, and decrease immunological reactions, Torrents explained: ‘They deliver a predetermined dose while decreasing the frequency of admin- istration, enabling drugs delivery locally and precisely, and minimise secondary effects, and liberate two or more components in combined therapies.’ There are currently 44 nano-deliv- ery products on the market, includ- ing some for fungal infections and oral and perioral infections, as well as 18 pharmaceutical products, one of which is designed for fungal infections. This figure is expected to grow as labs express an increased interest in the field. The nanotechnology mar- ket represented 73 billion dollars in 2011 and is expected to grow to 131 billion in 2016, at a rate of +12.5% a year. In 2016 nano products will represent 10% of all sales in pharma industry. To advance NPs use, Torrents recommended that nano scientists should get away from the evidence concept, understand that pharma- have already been many changes following local elections earlier in May. I expect it will be challeng- ing, because every time politicians change you have to start from scratch to convince them. However, at this point the work is very visible, so I’m rather optimistic.’ cokinetic concepts in NPs are dif- ferent and conduct infection trials in animal models. There should be functional and safety studies, which shouldn’t follow the patterns of clas- sical pharmacology studies. ‘Challenges  remain in the detec- tion of infectious agents, penetra- tion of the hematoencephalic barrier and antibiotics resistance. Metallic NPs are very promising,’ he con- cluded, ‘and we hope to be able to use them for vaccination, and open the oral and pulmonary routes for drug delivery.’ Copyright:Shutterstoch/amenic181 Carlos Martín is Professor of Microbiology at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Zaragoza, and a member of the Advisory Committee of Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (TBVI). With more than 25 years of experi- ence in mycobacterial genetics he, and his team, aim to develop novel TB vaccines and vaccination strategies to improve protec- tion against pulmonary TB. He is currently working in collaborative TB research pro- jects with research groups in Europe and Latin America. Previously, Martín worked as permanent researcher at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, and he has published more than 100 international publications on TB. Since 1992 his TB research has con- tinuously received national and European Union funding. The professor also belongs to CIBERES, a research network on respira- tory diseases of the Spanish Ministry of Health (Instituto de Salud Carlos III). Alt-Moabit 90 b • 10559 Berlin • Phone: +49 (0) 30 - 31101530 Anzeige-European-Hospital.indd 128.07.1517:16

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