antimicrobial photodynamic therapy considerably.
"The results indicate that our special compounds are very well suited for treatment of body surface infections. For example, a growing problem is diabetics developing foot wounds and we believe that our compounds can stop harmful infections emerging in these types of wounds. The compounds should also be effective against acne, infected burns or in the treatment of ulcers in the oral cavity," says Hjorth Tønnesen.
The two scientist emphasize that it will take some time before you can buy the new antimicrobial substances in your local pharmacy.
"The bactericidal effect is so far just demonstrated in the lab. We have to do experiments involving animals followed by clinical studies on humans before this can become a commercial product. But we wholeheartedly believe we have discovered something very exciting," says Opsvik Wikene.
"One test tube contains sucrose, the same as the sugar you keep in your home cupboard. Sucrose is a solid substance at room temperature. The second test tube contains a type of sugar called glucose, also a solid substance -- and the third tube contains a compound made up of the two sugars," she explains.
As if by magic, the remarkable thing is that the third tube containing the compound is a liquid substance. The liquid compound contains exactly the same amount of molecules of sucrose and glucose; it's the compound itself that creates the distinct structure that makes it liquid.
Opsvik Wikene has also discovered NADES compounds proportioned differently. A common treat in all the compounds is that they contain substances present in several types of cells; substances such as sugars, amino acids, organic acids as citric acid and so on.
The bactericidal effect of the NADES compounds is probably the result of the creation of free radicals, short lived and reactive chemical compounds, when the compounds are in contact with the bacteria in the vicinity of light.
"We think these free radicals attack all types of molecules in a bacteria cell -- both the outer membrane and the DNA inside the cell. The bacteria are left defenseless because it doesn't manage to develop resistance against such a substantial attack: It's almost like running over the bacteria with a bulldozer," Hjorth Tønnesen proclaims.
The free radicals will in principle also attack healthy cells close to the bacteria that is being killed, but luckily photosensitizers dissolved in NADES is more quickly transmitted to bacteria than healthy body cells.
"This means we have a time frame: If we apply a NADES with photosensitizer and illuminate the infested area immediately, we can kill the bacteria before the surrounding area is affected," according to Hjorth Tønnesen.
The NADES solvents have a special ability; they can dissolve both water-soluble substances and non-water-soluble substances. This gives the NADES the possibility to use a wide range of photosensitizers.
"If this treatment proves as promising as it looks we can easily have a huge commercial success on our hands, says Jan Solberg at Inven2. He has assisted Opsvik Wikene and Hjorth Tønnesen with the patent application and thinks it contains a number of interesting things.
"The most immediate usage is to apply these methods on infested leg wounds and other superficial type of wounds. It is common that older people, especially smokers and diabetics can develop wounds on their legs because of limited blood circulation. These wounds are often difficult to treat, painful and easily infected. But with this new method we imagine home care nurses can apply NADES solvent on these kinds of wounds and subsequently activate the bactericidal substances with light of the "right wavelength," says Solberg.
The leg wounds will not disappear just because the bacteria dies, but it will be very advantageous to get rid of all the infections.
Solberg points out that bactericidal photodynamic therapy has been known for a long time, but that it has become an ever more interesting field of research after antibiotic resistance has become an increasing problem.
"The substances used when killing bacteria with this method are often large molecules that are difficult to dissolve. However, the NADES compounds have characteristics that makes it easier to dissolve these substances and that opens a lot of possibilities. The patent application is especially interesting also because the solvents in themselves seem to have a bactericidal effect, both with and without the use of light," says Solberg.
Inven2 is now hopeful that a pharmaceutical company will buy the rights described in the patent or that some investors could get interested and start up a new company.
"It is usually necessary with substantial clinical testing before a new pharmaceutical can be approved, but in this case at least a few of the NADES compounds are made up of substances that have a documented effect. Kristine Opsvik Wikene has for example described a NADES that simply co