What we do
About our project
What is the motivation for this research?
Infective endocarditis is a life-threatening bacterial infection of the heart. Currently, treating infective endocarditis is costly, lengthy, and difficult because the biofilm of bacteria are encapsulated within a vegetation (thrombus-like mesh). Moreover, the morbidity and mortality rate of infective endocarditis is high.
What is the aim?
The main objective is to use ultrasound-activated microbubbles (1-10 μm in diameter) for local antibiotic delivery.
How will you perform this research?
We will develop enhancement of bactericidal action aided by ultrasound and the presence of microbubbles, i.e. sonobactericide. The research focuses on preclinical research and tissue obtained from infective endocarditis patients who are operated to replace the infected valve.
What is the desirable outcome?
Sonobactericide could potentially be used to overcome infective endocarditis by directly inducing bacterial death.
Funds & Grants
Collaborations
Collaborations within Erasmus MC
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Hematology
Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (MMID)
Pathology
Collaborations outside Erasmus MC
Image-guided Ultrasound Therapeutics Laboratories, University of Cincinnati, Holland lab
Laboratory of Acoustical Wavefield Imaging, Delft University of Technology
Publications
Sonobactericide: An Emerging Treatment Strategy for Bacterial Infections
Combined Confocal Microscope and Brandaris 128 Ultra-High-Speed Camera
