The World Health Organization (WHO) ranks antibiotic resistance as one of the top 10 threats to global health. Therefore, new solutions to tackle resistant bacteria and reduce antibiotic use are greatly needed. A group of researchers from Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology has unveiled a new spray that can kill even antibiotic-resistant bacteria and can be used directly in wound care and implants and other medical devices.
?“Our innovation can make a double impact in the fight against antibiotic resistance. It has been shown to be effective against many types of bacteria, but it also has the potential to prevent infections and reduce the need for antibiotics.The principal investigator of the study, Chalmers Chemistry and Chemistry says engineering professor Martin Anderson.
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are already estimated to cause about 1.3 million deaths annually worldwide. As part of an effort to slow the spread and development of drug resistance, researchers at Chalmers University are developing new antimicrobial materials that can be used in healthcare and serve as effective tools to combat antibiotic resistance.
This material consists of tiny hydrogel particles with a type of peptide* that effectively kills and binds bacteria. Conjugating peptides to particles provides a protective environment and increases peptide stability. This makes the peptides inactive and difficult to use in healthcare as they work with body fluids such as blood. In previous work, researchers have shown how peptides can be used in wound care materials such as wound dressings. They have now published two new studies in which the antiseptic material is used in the form of a wound spray and as a coating on medical devices that are introduced into our bodies. means that it is used in ways that provide even greater benefits in healthcare.
Kills bacteria without adversely affecting wound healing
Wound sprays that can reach deep wounds and other open areas of the body where bacteria can enter are flexible and very useful in treating and preventing infections. It has many advantages over
“The substances contained in this wound spray are completely non-toxic and do not affect human cells. Unlike existing disinfectant sprays, they do not interfere with the body’s healing process. , Can Kill Bacteria in a Short Time,” Scientific Articles.
Reduces the risk of infection from substances introduced into the body
Infections are a major problem in the treatment of inserting implants and catheters into the body. Therefore, there is a great need for new antimicrobial biomaterials, ie materials that treat, replace or modify organs, tissues or functions in vivo. One of the leading causes of nosocomial infections is the use of urinary catheters. The Chalmers researchers’ new coating could reduce this risk and become an effective new tool to prevent infection.
“Catheters are sterile when they are unpacked, but they can become contaminated with bacteria while they are being introduced into the body, which can lead to infection. The other is that it can be applied to existing products already in use in healthcare, so there is no need to create new products,” the authors of the article said.
In this study, the researchers tested a silicone material coating used for catheters, but believe it could also be used on other biomaterials.
Research in parallel with product development
The antimicrobial material research is being conducted in collaboration with a spin-off company, Amferia AB, which has also commercialized the technology. Chalmers and Amferia have previously published antimicrobial materials in the form of hydrogel wound dressings and are currently undergoing clinical studies for both human and animal wound care. Read the article on functionalized cross-linked lyotropic liquid crystal particles. of pharmacy. The authors of this article are Edvin Blomstrand (Chalmers industrial PhD student and research engineer at Amferia), Anand K. Rajasekharan (Amferia), Saba Atefyekta (Amferia) and Martin Andersson (Chalmers).
Read the article Multifunctional Surface Modification of PDMS for Antivacact Contact Killing and Drug-Delivery of Polar, Nonpolar, and Amphiphilic Drugs in the scientific journal ASC Applied Bio Materials. The authors of this article are Annija Stepulane (PhD student at Chalmers), Anand Kumar Rajasekharan (Amferia), and Martin Andersson (Chalmers).
Learn more about research and new materials
The beneficial properties of antimicrobial peptides have been known for many years. They exist in thousands of different variants in the innate immune systems of humans, animals and plants, and researchers have long sought to mimic and utilize peptides to prevent and treat infections. In their natural state, these peptides are rapidly degraded upon contact with body fluids such as blood, making their direct clinical use difficult. The materials the researchers are developing solve this problem by attaching peptides to particles. For both sprays and coatings, the bactericidal efficacy of the materials could be measured to persist for up to 48 hours in contact with body fluids and for years without contact with body fluids.
Researchers have shown that 99.99% of bacteria are killed by the material and its bactericidal ability remains effective for about 48 hours, allowing it to be used in a wide range of clinical applications. Because the material is non-toxic, it can be used directly on the body to prevent or treat infections without adversely affecting the natural healing process.
Original: New spray fights infections and antibiotic resistance
Than: Chalmers Institute of Technology
