Treatment of pharyngotonsillitis with photodynamic action: investigation of basic mechanisms

Abstract

This is a research proposal that is being directed to the Research Scholarship Abroad program (BEPE) - FAPESP and proposes a partnership between the University A&M Texas (USA) and the University of São Paulo (Brazil) in biomedical research for combating multiresistant bacteria. For this, we intend to explore new scientific ideas, tools and technologies that have the potential to significantly impact the therapy of infections caused by multi-resistant bacteria, which is common to the needs of biomedical research in the US and Brazil. A significant number of treatment failures for streptococcal pharyngotonsillitis (FT) are described in the scientific literature relating the chronicity and recurrent characteristics of some forms of the infection. Internalization and colonization of group A Streptococcus (GAS) in tonsillar epithelial cells by multiresistant strains and biofilms in inflamed tonsil tissue and crypts have been identified as potential causes of antibiotic treatment failures (ATB). A clinical study is being carried out with photodynamic therapy (PDT) for the treatment of acute FT and now a step forward must be taken, providing an understanding to alleviate the complex problem of multidrug-resistant bacteria in these types of infections. Breaking antimicrobial resistance by PDT provides evidence to suggest that antibiotics may increase their effectiveness against bacteria. The nature of this interaction is unclear and complicates efforts to integrate the oxidative stress of PDT into the treatment of infections. This study will aim to determine whether these treatments are truly synergistic or simply orthogonal based on the investigation of antimicrobial resistance breakdown by PDT. The proposed research involves an intense activity in this sense by two research institutions that have already been collaborating in scientific terms. (AU)