Treating Earaches With Nanoparticles That Generate Antiseptic on Demand

Ear infections are a common childhood ailment. They’re usually treated with antibiotics, but the rise of antibiotic resistance has scientists looking for alternative treatments. Researchers developed a new kind of earache treatment that exploits a chemical produced by the infectious bacteria. They made nanorods that catalyze a chemical reaction inside the ear that turns hydrogen peroxide, which some bacteria produce naturally, into hypobromous acid, a potent antiseptic that’s less likely to breed resistance. The researchers are now working on developing a non-invasive delivery method for the treatment, so one day doctors could apply the treatment topically rather than injecting it into the ear. The research is being presented at ACS Fall 2023, a meeting of the American Chemical Society.