Preparation and antimicrobial evaluation of polyion complex (PIC) nanoparticles loaded with polymyxin B

AbstractHere, we describe novel polyion complex (PIC) particles for the delivery of Polymyxin B (Pol-B), an antimicrobial peptide currently used in the clinic as a last resort antibiotic against multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria. A range of conditions for the controlled assembly of Pol-B with poly(styrene sulphonate) (PSS) has been identified which let us prepare stable colloidal PIC particles. This way, PIC particles containing different Pol-B:PSS ratios have been prepared and their stability under simulated physiological conditions (i.e. pH, osmotic pressure and temperature) characterised. Furthermore, preliminary evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of these Pol-B containing PIC particles has been performed, by monitoring their effect on the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic gram-negative bacterium

Mental health in South Sudan: a ticking time bomb

Decades of war and conflict have caused a considerable amount of physical and mental trauma among South Sudanese. Mental health remains a heavily neglected, unacknowledged issue in South Sudan despite affecting all facets of societ