Implant with lactobacilli

The bacteria contained in cheese and yogurt helped to cope with a bone fracture

Maria Krivochenko, Naked Science

When a person breaks a bone, in some cases titanium implants are inserted into the fragments to speed up healing, they can also replace bone fragments. Sometimes implants create conditions for the reproduction of harmful bacteria, especially methicillin–resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) - this can lead to infection and inflammation.

A group of Chinese scientists suggested that the above problems can be avoided if the implants are coated with an antibacterial composition. To test the hypothesis, they used a biofilm of Lactobacillus casei. Early studies have shown that L. casei, found in the human body, as well as in fermented dairy products (for example, cheeses and yoghurts), are capable of killing bacteria in living organisms, but they have never been used in the treatment of fractures.

For the experiment described in the journal Science Advances (Tan et al., Engineered probiotics biofilm enhances osseointegration via immunoregulation and anti-infection), scientists used experimental rats: animals had their shins broken, and then restored them with bone implants. One part of the implants was left unchanged. The other was previously subjected to alkaline heat treatment for three days, and then covered with L.casei biofilm, which has an antibacterial effect.

Next, the team monitored the condition of the rodents for four weeks. Biologists found that rats with antibacterial-coated implants recovered faster: the increase in bone volume was 27% versus 16% in animals with conventional implants. The analysis showed that polysaccharides in the biofilm of L.casei improve the osseointegration of the implant, forcing macrophages to secrete more osteogenic cytokines, for example oncostatin M.

After that, the scientists repeated the experiment, but a biofilm of MRSA bacteria was added to the implants. After 12 hours, they found that biofilm L. casei destroys 99.98% of pathogens due to the production of lactic acid and bacteriocin.

The authors of the study showed that the use of probiotics accelerates the healing of fractures and protects rats from infections. According to scientists, it remains to test the safety and effectiveness of this method on a person – and it can be used in clinics. In addition, L.casei biofilm in the future wants to be used for the restoration of cartilage, skin, blood vessels, and so on, as well as during immunotherapy for various diseases.

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