Welcome
We derive inspiration from nature to find solutions for healthcare issues
Tara Biologics is a biotechnology company that focuses on discovering, developing, manufacturing and delivering biotherapeutics for microbial infections including Covid-19. The company was founded in 2020 from its parent company TeeGene, which is pioneering biosurfactants and is headquartered in London.
Mission: Tara’s mission is to discover, develop and commercialise natural compounds for biomedical applications. Our ambition is to prevent or treat microbial infections including Covid-19, where current therapies are inadequate.
Vision: Our vision is to find replacements for synthetics using nature’s solutions.
Values: Protect the environment, social responsibility and caring for people.
Natural compounds as promising drug leads
We have designed employing an approach to assess the inhibitory potential of the phytochemicals from medicinal plants with known antiviral activities, conventionally used against respiratory ailments like common cold, bronchitis and pneumonia.
Anti-viral applications of biosurfactants
Defensive nature of surfactants by expanding the application of bioactive peptides to inactivate enveloped viruses.
By acetylation of the hydrophilic head groups, biosurfactants have been active against herpes and HIV viruses. Such modification is considered to improve hydrophilicity of biosurfactant thus promoting its antiviral and cytokine-stimulating properties (Smith et al. 2020) .
Lipopeptide used as adjuvant or linked to low mass antigenic molecules have also been used to stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies.
Glycolipid biosurfactants have shown properties as immunomodulators, anti-inflammatory and improved sepsis survival in experimental animal models.
Biosurfactants: A Covid-19 Perspective
The use of biosurfactants in
dealing with this pandemic justifies extensive study with their potential applications being in the prevention of viral spread; dealing with the symptoms that develop after the incubation period; directly targeting viral infected cells and preventing the spread of the virus throughout the host, all in addition to also acting as potential drug delivery systems and cleaning agents.
This extensive avenue of biosurfactants owes to the simplicity in their amphiphilic structure which permits them to interact directly with the lipid membrane of the coronavirus, in a way which wouldn’t be of significant threat to the host.
The structure of the coronavirus, in this case SARS-COV-2, is detrimentally dependent on the integrity of its lipid membrane which encloses its vital proteins and RNA. Biosurfactants possess the innate ability to threaten this membrane (Smith et al. 2020).
Biosurfactants in cleaning products
During this pandemic and unprecedented times, it is vital to encourage safe and efficient cleaning procedures that effectively eliminate dormant forms of the virus that may lay on surfaces in public areas, clothes or homes.
Anionic surfactant types are commonly used in cleaning products and detergents. When applied to a surface the fatty acid chains of the surfactant bind to the hydrophobic components of microbes, while the surfactants hydrophilic domain will simultaneously bind to water with a significant affinity, resulting in the solubilization of that microbe.
This emulsification reaction therefore enables the surface to be cleaned whilst depositing an effective surfactant layer. Once attached the anionic detergent particles electric charge removes harmful substances from the surface and solubilize them into smaller droplets which results in an emulsification of dirt and detergent.
As the surfactant molecules are continuously attached to the dirt/harmful substance the process of repulsion continues effectively preventing the same particle from being reintroduced to the surface.
Using products that contain biosurfactants in conjunction with or as an alternative to heavily chemical cleaners may be more effective in efficient disinfection.
Biosurfactants have great advantages as eco-friendly and less-toxic alternative to synthetic surfactant and to date, glycolipids are the most commercialized in cleaning applications by different companies world-wide (Smith et al., 2020)
Anionic surfactant types are commonly used in cleaning products and detergents. When applied to a surface the fatty acid chains of the surfactant bind to the hydrophobic components of microbes, while the surfactants hydrophilic domain will simultaneously bind to water with a significant affinity, resulting in the solubilization of that microbe.
This emulsification reaction therefore enables the surface to be cleaned whilst depositing an effective surfactant layer. Once attached the anionic detergent particles electric charge removes harmful substances from the surface and solubilize them into smaller droplets which results in an emulsification of dirt and detergent.
As the surfactant molecules are continuously attached to the dirt/harmful substance the process of repulsion continues effectively preventing the same particle from being reintroduced to the surface.
Using products that contain biosurfactants in conjunction with or as an alternative to heavily chemical cleaners may be more effective in efficient disinfection.
Biosurfactants have great advantages as eco-friendly and less-toxic alternative to synthetic surfactant and to date, glycolipids are the most commercialized in cleaning applications by different companies world-wide (Smith et al., 2020)
Biosurfactants in Handwash
The effectiveness of hand sanitizers compared to washing hands with soap and water has been of constant debate as of recently. The C.D.C (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention) has stated that using soap when washing hands is more effective than hand sanitizer or water alone (C.D.C, 2019).
This is because surfactants present in soaps lift and remove microbes, harmful substances and dirt from skin. Furthermore, the lather produced from soap as well as effective scrubbing work well to remove contaminants.
It is also important to consider the prolonged and repeated use of alcohol-based products such as a disinfectant which can cause discoloration and damage to the skin (W.H.O, 2014).
Lipopeptide and rhamnolipid biosurfactant based cosmetics for skin conditioning, refatting and moisturizers properties to be used in shampoo, shower gel and household cleaners and it also has a potential use in handwash applications (Smith et al., 2020).
Treating Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome using Biosurfactants
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a progressive medical syndrome, characterized by a build-up of fluid in the patient’s alveoli which result in inefficient oxygen transfer across these alveolar membranes into the blood.
It is for this reason that future study for their use as a direct treatment for ARDS, through solubilizing the alveolar substrate, is likely to generate positive results and is therefore crucial in combating Covid-19 in the future (Smith et al., 2020)
ARDS is often a consequence of an already serious medical concern, in this case Covid-19, with the resulting lack of oxygen to organs contributing to the high fatality rates seen in those who begin to develop symptoms.
One leading cause for this alveolar fluid build-up, in response to infection by SARS-COV-2, is surfactant dysfunction which has negative consequences on the emulsification and thereby clearance of liquid from this particular region. Current treatments for this rely on ventilators to supplement the body with the oxygen which otherwise would not be able to successfully transfer into the blood, relieving the immediate symptoms which would otherwise lead to issues such as hypoxia. Socioeconomic factors have played a large role in the effectiveness of such a treatment, with providing enough ventilators and facilities for each patient affected proving to be difficult and, in some cases, impossible considering the cost, space and training required to use them.
With this in mind, biosurfactants present themselves to be a promising area of study in identifying novel treatments for ARDS which could overcome the socioeconomic barriers that have so far limited the effectiveness of ventilators.
Biosurfactants and drug delivery mechanisms
When considering possible treatment opportunities for the COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucial to decide upon a mode of drug delivery which doesn’t compromise the molecular nature of the product while also being able to deliver it successfully to the area of interest. With the SARS-COV-2 predominantly impacting the respiratory system and upper gastrointestinal tract, a likely mode of delivery would be via aerosol or lozenge.
The micellar nature of biosurfactants result in them being the ideal candidates for either system of drug delivery, allowing them to form a stable liposome which will encase the drug, protecting it from damage which may otherwise cause dysfunction.
The physicochemical characteristics of biosurfactants allow them to maintain their integrity while used in an aerosol, this would be the likely mode of drug delivery considering the main area of virulence to be within the lungs.
The solubility of biosurfactants will work to their advantage throughout this process as they will evidently increase the bioavailability of the drug, once it has been administered.
This self-solubilising nature of biosurfactants therefore advances the drugs dose proportionality, resulting in more consistent impacts across patients.
The ability for biosurfactants to mediate drug delivery is apparent, however the benefits of their use in this way are twofold. In addition to providing safe passage for the drug to the target, the biosurfactants will also exhibit natural antiviral properties at the site of infection, in addition to also relieving surfactant dysfunction in the alveoli, another consequence of SARS-COV-2 infection.
In this way, they will be able to inhibit a number of viruses present around that given area while also directly relieving symptoms, a significant factor reducing its virulence and transmission between hosts (Smith et al., 2020).
This self-solubilising nature of biosurfactants therefore advances the drugs dose proportionality, resulting in more consistent impacts across patients.
The ability for biosurfactants to mediate drug delivery is apparent, however the benefits of their use in this way are twofold. In addition to providing safe passage for the drug to the target, the biosurfactants will also exhibit natural antiviral properties at the site of infection, in addition to also relieving surfactant dysfunction in the alveoli, another consequence of SARS-COV-2 infection.
In this way, they will be able to inhibit a number of viruses present around that given area while also directly relieving symptoms, a significant factor reducing its virulence and transmission between hosts (Smith et al., 2020).
Covid-19
The COVID-19 pandemic is one which has had a detrimental impact on public health, seriously hindering the normal functionality of our society and therefore resulting in massive hardship across both our economy and public wellbeing. It is for this reason that scientists have been at a bid to find novel ways in which this pandemic can be combatted, across all of its planes of influence throughout our society (Smith et al. 2020) .
The future of biosurfactants
Biosurfactants have not only proven themselves to be the ideal candidates to behave as this novel solution but have done so in a way which targets many of the avenues that are crucial in resolving a pandemic of this scale.
Their potential in behaving as safe and effective cleaning solutions have been discussed and they have been recognised as being a valid alternative to current procedure. In addition to this, biosurfactants have been found to act as significant drug delivery systems, housing multiple benefits to their use, most importantly showing a great potential in being able to successfully deliver drugs, maintaining dose proportionality in the process (Smith et al. 2020).
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