Synthesis and Characterization of Gold-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for sepsis treatment

 

Investigator: Rene Stein (Master student) 

Rene Stein

 

Supervisors: Bernhard Friedrich, Prof. Christoph Alexiou, Prof. Aldo R. Boccaccini

Since the discovery of penicillin in 1928 antibiotics are used over-extensively not only in human medicine, but also in agriculture and as precaution measures in livestock farming. Thus, bacteria that developed resistances to multiple antibiotics over time will be a fundamental challenge modern medicine has to face in the future.

For treatments that especially rely on antibiotic therapies new alternative approaches will be necessary to ensure a successful recovery of the patient. One major problem is the treatment of sepsis, a systemic immune response mostly against an uncontrolled bacterial infection.

The aim of this work is to synthesize functionalized Gold-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs). The synthesized particles will be characterized and the synthesis will be refined to achieve antibody binding on the particle surface for a potential sepsis therapy.

This thesis is realized in cooperation with the research group of Prof. Dr. med. Christoph Alexiou (LINK: https://www.hno-klinik.uk-erlangen.de/seon-nanomedizin/ueber-uns/leitung/ ) from the Section for Experimental Oncology and Nanomedicine (SEON) (LINK: https://www.hno-klinik.uk-erlangen.de/seon-nanomedizin/ ) at the Universitätsklinikum Erlangen.