Researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus studied a new method to deliver antibiotics, specifically gentamicin, directly into the bladder tissue to better treat UTIs. They did this by creating nanogels combined with a special peptide (a small protein) that helps the drug get inside the cells where the bacteria are hiding.

The results, published in Nanomedicine, demonstrate that this approach proved highly effective when tested in animal models with UTIs, eliminating over 90% of the bacteria from the bladder.

“We prove not only that this technology is doable but could be very effective for future clinical use and can potentially lead towards an eventual cure of recurrent infections,” said the paper’s senior author Michael Schurr, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Immunology & Microbiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

The researchers discovered that nanogel technology can carry more than enough gentamicin to be effective - about 36% more gentamicin inside cells compared to standard antibiotic delivery methods. Additionally, it exhibits low toxicity, causing minimal harm to cells.

They also found that nanogels release the drug quickly, which helps kill bacteria in the bladder faster.