Barrier therapy strategies to prevent infection

Barrier therapies use a physical non-pharmacological mode of action to manage a clinical syndrome at the site of application. Barrier strategies are aimed at preventing the contact of microbes to human skin and  mucosal tissues to help reduce infections.

Barrier therapies do not affect the viability of microorganisms and do not destroy the healthy microbiota. Another advantage of this mode of action is the absence of selective pressure, which minimizes the risk of developing microbial resistance.

The human mucus layer is a natural barrier.

The mucus layer that covers human epithelial surfaces is well-known for its natural barrier function and reduce contact of microbes to the underlying epithelial cells. Our mucosal surfaces are a humid and warm environment that supports microbial growth. The digestive tract, the vagina and the mouth all contain extensive microbiota. To minimize direct contact between epithelial cells and microbes, mucosal epithelial cells produce mucus (proteoglycans and polysaccharides) that physically prevent the microorganisms to reaching the epithelial surface.

2QR-complex prevents contact of pathogens

In vitro bacterial culture testing was performed to investigate the barrier function of 2QR-complex. In this in vitro assay pathogenic microorganisms were incubated on top of layer of Multi-Gyn ActiGel and number of microorganisms that crossed the product layer were determined. The percentage of bacteria that crossed the product layer is representative of its barrier function.  The figure below shows that more than 99% of bacteria are blocked by the product showing a  clear barrier function.

This data shows that Multi-Gyn ActiGel (MGA) that is primarily composed of 2QR-Complex has a physical barrier function when tested in vitro. For this reason, 2QR-complex is a very suitable ingredient for barrier therapy strategies.

2QR-complex does not affect the viability of microbes

Various microbial species were incubated in growth medium in the absence and presence of 2QR-complex. After 1 hour of incubation, the number of surviving cells was determined quantitatively (total plate count). Subsequently, the incubations were allowed to grow overnight, and the amount of microbial growth was determined in a turbidity measurement, ‘optical density’ (OD).

Results
For all microorganisms tested, the numbers of colony-forming units after 1 hour incubation with purified 2QR-complex was similar to control incubations without 2QR-complex. Moreover, after overnight incubation the extent of microbial growth in the presence and absence of 2QR-complex were highly comparable. In conclusion, these results convincingly show 2QR-complex do not affect microbial viability and do not affect microbial growth in vitro.

Summary of the science

• 2QR-complex forms a protective viscous layer on tissues that protects host epithelial cells from being contacted by pathogenic microorganisms.
• 2QR-complex barrier formation offers an attractive way to neutralize pathogenic microorganisms on skin and mucous tissue membranes.
• The barrier function of 2QR-complex renders pathogenic microbes harmless in a natural and safe way, has no side effects and does not provoke any microbial resistance.
• 2QR-complex prevents the contact of pathogenic microbes to human tissues but does not affect the growth of beneficial commensal microbes.
• 2QR-complex is harmless for human cells and tissues and micro-organisms; it does not exert any chemical, pharmacological, metabolic or immunological response when applied.
• By neutralizing pathogenic microbes, the beneficial commensal microbes can reestablish the healthy microbiota. As a result, 2QR-complex combats pathogenic microbes and corrects and restores the healthy microbiota.
• This mode of action renders pathogenic microbes harmless in a natural and safe way, has no known side effects.
• Clinical application of 2QR-based gels results in substantial improvement of clinical symptoms related to infectious problems.