We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
PURITAN MEDICAL

Download Mobile App




Antimicrobial Hydrogels Dissolve and Sterilize Drug-Resistant Biofilms

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 04 Feb 2013
Synthetic antimicrobial hydrogels have been developed that demonstrate 100% efficiency in destruction of biofilms, with application potential for catheter and medical device coatings, implants, skin, and everyday surfaces.

Bacterial biofilms, which are adhesive groupings of pathogenic cells present in 80% of all infections, develop on the skin and on medical devices and household surfaces where they are difficult to treat and demonstrate high resistance to antibiotics. More...


In the current study, which was published in the January 7, 2013, issue of the journal, Angewandte Chemie, investigators at IBM (San Jose, CA, USA) and the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (Singapore) described the development of biodegradable and injectable/moldable hydrogels with hierarchical nanostructures. These 90% aqueous hydrogels were made from specifically designed macromolecules containing a large number of atoms, which combined water solubility, positive charge, and biodegradability characteristics. When mixed with water and warmed to body temperature the polymers self-assembled, swelling into a synthetic gel that was easy to manipulate.

The hydrogels were shown to possess broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities and biofilm-disruption capability. Furthermore, they demonstrated no cytotoxicity in vitro, and displayed excellent skin biocompatibility in animals.

"This is a fundamentally different approach to fighting drug-resistant biofilms. When compared to capabilities of modern-day antibiotics and hydrogels, this new technology carries immense potential,” said Dr. James Hedrick, advanced organic materials scientist at IBM. “This new technology is appearing at a crucial time as traditional chemical and biological techniques for dealing with drug-resistant bacteria and infectious diseases are increasingly problematic.”

“We were driven to develop a more effective therapy against super bugs due to the lethal threat of infection by these rapidly mutating microbes and the lack of novel antimicrobial drugs to fight them. Using the inexpensive and versatile polymer materials that we have developed jointly with IBM, we can now launch a nimble, multipronged attack on drug-resistant biofilms which would help to improve medical and health outcomes,” said Dr. Yi-Yan Yang, group leader at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology.

Related Links:
IBM
Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology


New
Gold Member
Blood Gas Analyzer
Stat Profile pHOx
Serological Pipet Controller
PIPETBOY GENIUS
New
Integrated Biochemical & Immunological System
Biolumi CX8
New
Chlamydia Trachomatis Test
Aptima Chlamydia Trachomatis Assay
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








DIASOURCE (A Biovendor Company)

Channels

Hematology

view channel
Image: CitoCBC is the world first cartridge-based CBC to be granted CLIA Waived status by FDA (Photo courtesy of CytoChip)

Disposable Cartridge-Based Test Delivers Rapid and Accurate CBC Results

Complete Blood Count (CBC) is one of the most commonly ordered lab tests, crucial for diagnosing diseases, monitoring therapies, and conducting routine health screenings. However, more than 90% of physician... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: A simple blood test could replace surgical biopsies for early detecion of heart transplant rejection (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Blood Test Detects Organ Rejection in Heart Transplant Patients

Following a heart transplant, patients are required to undergo surgical biopsies so that physicians can assess the possibility of organ rejection. Rejection happens when the recipient’s immune system identifies... Read more

Pathology

view channel
These images illustrate how precision oncology Organ Chips recapitulate individual patients’ responses to chemotherapy (Photo courtesy of Wyss Institute at Harvard University)

Cancer Chip Accurately Predicts Patient-Specific Chemotherapy Response

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), one of the two primary types of esophageal cancer, ranks as the sixth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide and currently lacks effective targeted therapies.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.