RISK CDT - Addressing the Risk of the Development of Antimicrobial Resistance though Novel Multipronged Therapeutics

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This is a project within the multi-disciplinary EPSRC and ESRC Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) on Quantification and Management of Risk & Uncertainty in Complex Systems & Environments, within the Institute for Risk and Uncertainty. The studentship is granted for 4 years and includes, in the first year, a Master in Decision Making under Risk & Uncertainty. The project includes extensive collaboration with prime industry to build an optimal basis for employability.

The aim of this studentship is to develop a cost-effective, easy to manufacture, antimicrobial loaded vehicles for the treatment of chronic wound infections. The development of these prototype antimicrobial delivery vehicles underpins the Department of Health strategic priority and links a UK leading wound healing company with UoL’s Antimicrobial Wound Healing Research Group to address a major global societal challenge; risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). These novel vehicles will encapsulate regulatory approved antimicrobials to allow for ease of manufacture and speed up patient access to new therapeutics.

Wound beds are at a high risk of developing infection due to the impairment of the integrity of the tissue and reduction in cell mediated immunity. High levels of multi-resistant organisms can impact the wound healing process and traditional treatments involving the systemic use of antibiotics can increase the risk of AMR. Wound dressings impregnated with silver are used widely and are now considered a mainstay in wound management.1 Silver alginate wound dressings have broad spectrum antimicrobial activity which when used in combination with a highly absorbent alginate material are particularly beneficial in the management of highly exuding wounds.2,3 Bradford et al.4 demonstrated this capacity with silver-impregnated alginate dressings showing a sustained broad antimicrobial effect over a 21-days. Such a sustained release of silver may help to minimise nursing time, thus cutting down healthcare costs, and it can also minimise patient discomfort commonly observed during dressing changes.2 Silver, however, is expensive and as such there is economical driving force to develop new antimicrobial wound care technologies. This studentship will aim to make a step change in current antimicrobial wound healing technologies by developing a more cost-effective and multipronged prototype in order to de-risk the development of AMR.