Neem Biotech has been granted a Venture & Innovation Award from the UK Cystic Fibrosis Trust to expand its cystic fibrosis program.
Neem are working on a novel approach to antimicrobial resistance, which involves preventing the formation of and disrupting mature biofilms that are produced by bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. In lung biofilm communities, bacteria are both protected against antibiotics and the host immune system. Elements within the biofilm also impact upon the level of hydration of the lungs in cystic fibrosis.
In people with cystic fibrosis, this translates into a perpetual cycle of inflammation and persistent lung infection with associated damage to lung tissue, reduced lung capacity and increased risk of acute exacerbations resulting in hospitalisations.
