It is not only human health that benefits from advances in nanomedicine: researchers associated with Cedenna have developed innovative veterinary products to improve animal health and welfare, especially for dogs and cats.
In a country where pet ownership is growing exponentially, veterinarians have also detected an increase in antibiotic resistance, especially in dogs. In response to this problem, and together with companies interested in marketing products with proven scientific basis, Dr. Jessica Bravo, researcher at the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, CEDENNA, and Director of the UDP Biomedical Research Center, led a Fondef project that successfully worked on formulating prototypes of a hydrogel and a shampoo with essential oils from native Chilean plants capable of preventing harmful infections such as pyoderma, a bacterial infection that affects dogs’ skin, causing pus, itching, redness and hair loss, and which is frequently caused by allergies or parasites.
Although it is a widespread condition, veterinarians have so far had no specific treatments. In contrast, the products developed by the team led by Dr. Bravo have already been used successfully in veterinary clinical trials.
The research team, made up of members of UDP, Universidad Mayor, CEDENNA and the Bioactive Natural Products Laboratory, hopes to soon take the definitive step towards technology transfer. That is, moving towards the nanoencapsulation of their discovery, which would allow it to be used in very small quantities and thus facilitate its commercialization in everyday products capable of preventing or controlling infection.
