The term "stealth care" was coined in a political context, referring to the idea of certain words being disguised or hidden and the fact that not all types of caring for someone's wellbeing are within (or approved by) traditional health care.
This term has been also used in the computer security context - to describe the Honeynet Project. A honeynet is a network of Honeypots, computer systems set up to look like regular ones, but with a caveat. Honeypots allow themselves to be attacked by hackers in order to capture their every move, learn the tools, tactics and motives; being used to track down and stop attacks before they happen.
A new paper from McMaster University describes a cellular delivery system that can safely carry potent antibiotics throughout the body to selectively attack and kill bacteria. Physicists at McMaster University are essentially using red blood cells to conceal this antibiotic within turning them into stealth vehicles. The platform could help to address the ongoing antibiotic resistance crisis while avoiding the toxicity and harmful side effects of antibiotics. The technology could be used to fight particularly dangerous and often drug-resistant bacteria such as E. coli, which is responsible for many serious conditions such as pneumonia, gastroenteritis and bloodstream infections.
It could be also used for conditions such as IBS since traditional antibiotics delivery systems can often bring more harm than good in some cases. Antibiotics can disrupt the balance of the microbiome, leading to further symptoms of IBS and potentially causing new health problems. Additionally, overuse of antibiotics can lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which can make it more difficult to treat future infections effectively.
REFERENCES
Krivic H, Himbert S, Sun R, Feigis M, Rheinstädter MC. Erythro-PmBs: A Selective Polymyxin B Delivery System Using Antibody-Conjugated Hybrid Erythrocyte Liposomes. ACS Infectious Diseases. 2022 Sep 29;8(10):2059-72.
Săndulescu O, Viziteu I, Streinu-Cercel A, Miron VD, Preoțescu LL, Chirca N, Albu SE, Craiu M, Streinu-Cercel A. Novel Antimicrobials, Drug Delivery Systems and Antivirulence Targets in the Pipeline—From Bench to Bedside. Applied Sciences. 2022 Nov 16;12(22):11615.
Săndulescu O, Streinu-Cercel A, Moțoi MM, Streinu-Cercel A, Preoțescu LL. Syndromic Testing in Infectious Diseases: From Diagnostic Stewardship to Antimicrobial Stewardship. Antibiotics. 2023 Jan;12(1):6.
Stealth-care system: Scientists test 'smart' red blood cells to deliver antibiotics that target specific bacteria (2022, October 31) retrieved 6 February 2023 from https://phys.org/news/2022-10-stealth-care-scientists-smart-red-blood.html
