'Nasal spray from seaweed bug to treat sinusitis'

A revolutionary new nasal spray developed from a marine microbe found on the surface of seaweed may help decongest chronic sinusitis, a new study claims. Researchers are using an enzyme isolated from a marine bacterium Bacillus licheniformis on seaweed which they were originally researching for the purpose of cleaning the hulls of ships. The study published in the journal PLOS ONE, describes how in many cases of chronic sinusitis the bacteria form a bio-film, a slimy protective barrier which can protect them from sprays or antibiotics. In vitro experiments showed that the enzyme, called NucB dispersed 58 per cent of biofilms. "In effect, the enzyme breaks down the extracellular DNA, which is acting like a glue to hold the cells to the surface of the sinuses. In the lab, NucB cleared over half of the organisms we tested," Dr Nicholas Jakubovics of Newcastle University said. "Sinusitis is all too common and a huge burden on the NHS. For many people, symptoms include a blocked nose, nasal discharge or congestion, recurrent headaches, loss of the sense of smell and facial pain," Mohamed Reda Elbadawey, Consultant of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, said. "While steroid nasal sprays and antibiotics can help some people, for the patients I see, they have not been effective and these patients have to undergo the stress of surgery. If we can develop an alternative we could benefit thousands of patients a year," Elbadawey said in a statement. Researchers collected mucous and sinus biopsy samples from 20 different patients and isolated between two and six different species of bacteria from each individual. As many as 24 different strains were investigated in the laboratory and all produced biofilms containing significant amounts of extracellular DNA. Biofilms formed by 14 strains were disrupted by treatment with the novel bacterial deoxyribonuclease, NucB. When under threat, bacteria shield themselves in a slimy protective barrier. This slimy layer, known as a biofilm, is made up of bacteria held together by a web of extracellular DNA which adheres the bacteria to each other and to a solid surface � in this case in the lining of the sinuses. The biofilm protects the bacteria from attack by antibiotics and makes it very difficult to clear them from the sinuses.