The world is currently facing a problem of reduced efficacy of antibiotics, leaving many patients in danger. Researchers from the Chalmers University of Technology are now working on a spray that could help to deal with this challenge.
SEM Micrographs of the Coatings. Credit: Annija Stepulane Et Al.
The research team announced a spray that promises to fight antibiotic resistance and reduce reliance on antibiotics. The constituent material can be used not only for wound care but also on medical devices, such as catheters.
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Antibiotic resistance now ranks among the top ten global health threats, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). An estimate has it that almost 1.3 million people die because of it every year across the world.
This new invention may, therefore, promises to be an effective tool against what threatens to be the next pandemic.
“Our innovation can have a dual impact in the fight against antibiotic resistance,” explained Martin Andersson, a professor in Chalmers’s Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering who led the study. “The material has been shown to be effective against many different types of bacteria, including those that are resistant to antibiotics, such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), while also having the potential to prevent infections and thus reduce the need for antibiotics.”
The researchers reported the use of the bacterial-killing material as a wound spray and a medical device coating in two papers that appeared in ACS Applied Bio Materials and the International Journal of Pharmaceutics.
Antibacterial material
Researchers have been working for many years to exploit and mimic antimicrobial peptides that are present in humans, animals, and plants. This is because of the long-known benefits of these peptides that are in large supplies in the immune system.
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However, it is difficult to use the peptides directly for clinical purposes. They break down quickly when they mix with blood and other bodily fluids.
As a workaround, these researchers bound the bacteria-killing peptides to small hydrogel particles in their material. This ensures stability and prevents body fluids from easily breaking them down before doing what they are intended for.
Effective protection against infections and antibiotic resistance
The wound spray in this study can go into deep wounds and other open body areas where bacteria may be present to prevent or treat infections.
The antibacterial material in the spray killed 99.99 percent of bacteria, as per the researchers. It can continue to kill bacteria for up to 48 hours after coming in contact with bodily fluids. The material can also last for some years if not exposed to bodily fluids.
Medical devices, such as catheters, can be made safer with this material as a coating. Currently, these devices and implants are a major cause of hospital-acquired infections.
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“Although the catheters are sterile when unpacked, they can become contaminated with bacteria while they are being introduced into the body, which can lead to infection,” said Annija Stepulane, a lead author and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering doctoral student. “One major advantage of this coating is that the bacteria are killed as soon as they come into contact with the surface.”
According to Stepulane, the antibacterial coating can also be applied to existing healthcare products. This reduces the need for purchasing new ones.
The coating was tested on silicone materials for catheters in this work. However, the researchers believe that it can also be used on other biomaterials. The long-lasting nature of the material makes it a good candidate for a wide variety of clinical uses.
The Chalmers researchers described the material as being non-toxic. It does not interfere with the natural healing process negatively. The materials can safely be used both on and in the body. They offer multiple advantages over regular sprays and disinfectants, the research team stated.
Research on these materials is going on at the same time as product development. The researchers are working together with Amferia AB, an offshoot company that will market the bactericidal materials.
The new spray and coating reportedly show the potential of battling even multi-resistant bacteria.
