Implants with spikes
According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), every year more than four million people in Europe suffer from infectious complications of medical procedures. Most often they are associated with bacteria that settle on medical devices and implants, such as catheters, prosthetic joints, dental implants and others. In severe cases, doctors are forced to remove the implants.
Such infectious complications cause great suffering to patients, and the healthcare system expends huge time and material resources. In addition, antibiotics are used to treat and prevent such infections – firstly, it is expensive, and secondly, it accelerates the development of antibiotic resistance.
Researchers at Chalmer University of Technology, Sweden, have developed an antibacterial coating that will help reduce the number of infectious complications and, consequently, the need for antibacterial drugs. The innovative coating consists of a mixture of polyethylene and graphite nanoplates and kills up to 99.99% of the bacteria that get on it.
Antibacterial effect
Bacteria settle on the implants, which move through the body with blood and other fluids. When they get on a suitable surface, they begin to multiply and form a biofilm.
Previous research by the group has shown that vertical graphene spikes placed on the implant surface can form a protective coating, making it impossible for bacteria to attach. Nanoscips damage the cell membrane of bacteria and kill them. But the production of such graphene coating is expensive and quite complicated.
In the new study, the group achieved the same antibacterial effect using relatively inexpensive graphite nanoplates mixed with a universal polymer.
Safety
Nanoplastics on the surface of implants do not damage healthy tissues. The fact is that the cells of human organs are about 25 times larger than bacteria, so they practically do not suffer from contact.
The safety and effectiveness of nanocoating will help implants stay in the body much longer, reducing the need for surgery to replace them.
Orientation matters
In the study, scientists experimented with different concentrations of graphite and polymer material. The composition containing about 15-20% graphite nanoparticles had the greatest antibacterial effect – provided that the morphology has a high organization.
The decisive factor is the correct orientation and distribution of graphite nanoparticles. They must be very precisely positioned to achieve maximum effect.
Further research efforts will focus on unlocking the potential of antibacterial surfaces for specific biomedical applications.
Article by S.Pandit et al. The Controlled Alignment of Graphite Nanoplatelets in Polymeric Composites Prevents Bacterial Attachment is published in the journal Small.
Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on Chalmers: Graphite nanoplatelets prevent infections.