Engineering Personalised Cutaneous Hypobaric Microchambers that Deliver Antifungal Gas into the Human Nail to Treat Onychomycosis
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Bath
Department Name: Pharmacy and Pharmacology
Abstract
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People |
ORCID iD |
| Albert Bolhuis (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Ho FK
(2021)
Prevention and Treatment of Fungal Skin Infections Using Cationic Polymeric Films.
in Pharmaceutics
Nasereddin SM
(2024)
Understanding Global Access to Topical Onychomycosis Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
in Mycoses
| Description | One of the main aims of our part of the project is to test the spectrum of activity of H2S against several microbes that can cause nail infections. This included a wide range of fungal species, as well as bacteria. This work was successful, and we found that H2S has a broad spectrum of activity, capable of inhibiting all of the common fungal and bacterial species that cause nail infections. With most organisms that were tested, H2S either killed the microbes or inhibited their growth and reproduction. The level of activity of H2S was at a level comparable to antibiotics that are currently used in the treatment of infection. Importantly, we did not observe development of any resistance against H2S in the most common causative agent of fungal nail infections, while resistance against clinically used antifungal agents is reported more and more frequently. |
| Exploitation Route | The project has clearly shown that there is real potential in using H2S in treating nail infections, as it has good activity in vitro. However, the work also raises many questions that will drive our future work on this. For instance, it is not clear how exactly H2S kills microbes, and how well it works when applied to diseased nails of patients. Furthermore, considering the good antimicrobial activity of H2S, it is likely that this is applicable to treat a wider range of infections. This includes skin infections, which are often caused by the same or similar microbes that cause nail infections, as well as infected wounds. These questions we can hopefully answer with further funding. |
| Sectors | Healthcare Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Description | A patent on the use of hydrogen sulphide as a topical treatment of nail infection has been filed by our project partners (WO 2025/017299). The patent covers the design of a system comprising a topical source of H2S and an airtight cover which is adapted for topical application of H2S to an infected nail. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2025 |
| Sector | Healthcare |
| Impact Types | Societal Economic |
| Description | KCL |
| Organisation | King's College London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | This project is a collaboration with Prof Stuart Jones (KCL) and Dr Mohamed Alhnan (KCL). My group provides expertise on the biology of dermatophytes. My group has been working for a number of years on developing skin infection models, and in particular dermatophytes (fungi that cause skin infections such as athlete's foot, ringworm and nail infections). In addition, my group was the first to show the antifungal activity of H2S against dermatophytes. Prof Jones and I also jointly supervise a PhD student working on a related project. This student is based at KCL, and I have provided her with microbiological training. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Prof Jones works in the area of pharmaceutics and is an expert in drug delivery into human tissues, including treatment for onychomycosis. This includes work on effect of barometric pressure changes on penetration of chemicals into tissues. Dr Alhnan is an expert material science and electronics in the pharmaceutical field, developing pharmaceutical technologies for drug delivery, such as bespoke 3D printed devices. As part of the EPSRC-funded project, Dr Alhnan will design 3D-printed devices for delivery of H2S to infected nails. |
| Impact | No outputs at present |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Title | HYDROGEN SULPHIDE FOR TOPICAL TREATMENT OF NAIL INFECTION |
| Description | Disclosed is a topical source of hydrogen sulphide for use in the treatment of a nail infection, for example onychomycosis. Also disclosed is a system comprising the topical source of hydrogen sulphide. |
| IP Reference | WO2025017299 |
| Protection | Patent / Patent application |
| Year Protection Granted | 2025 |
| Licensed | No |
| Description | Conference session organiser and chair |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | I was the co-organiser and chair for a session in the annual conference of the Microbiology Society (April 2024), which has an attendance of approximately 1500-2000 participants. The session was titled "Exploring the skin microbiome in health and disease", and I was involved with developing the programme, inviting keynote speakers, and selecting abstracts for short oral presentations and posters |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |