BENGALURU: Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science have been able to harness the energy of shock waves to treat infections.
They are hopeful that the technique, in tandem with anti-biotic treatment, will be able to treat several lung and skin infections caused by bacteria.
The scientists, for the first time, attempted to use shock waves to treat biofilm infections in living organisms - like tooth decay and sinusitis. Jagdeesh Gopalan, Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering, collaborated with Dipshikha Chakravortty, Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology for the study.
Shock waves have already been used successfully as a non-invasive technique of drug delivery, vaccinations and kidney stone removal. While most previous experiments of shock wave treatment involved external, artificial environments, the study attempted to treat biofilms inside a living organism. The researchers have already begun developing treatment techniques using shock waves, said an IISc release.