Antibacterial implant
Scientists have created a material for implants that destroys up to 98% of bacteria
NUST MISIS scientists together with colleagues from Russia, the Czech Republic and the USA have developed a new material for implants that prevents the development of bacterial infection after surgery. Due to the presence of platinum and iron nanoparticles, the material is able to destroy up to 98% of bacteria within 12 hours after installation. Article by Ponomarev et al. Antibacterial Performance of TiCaPCON Films Incorporated with Ag, Pt, and Zn: Bacterial Ions Versus Surface Microgalvanic Interactions is published in the journal Applied Materials & Interfaces.
Bacterial infection occurs in 1-4% of cases after planned surgical intervention during the installation of implants, and with complex fractures, the probability of its occurrence reaches 30%. If an infection occurs, repeated surgical intervention is often required.
In milder cases, antibiotic therapy is carried out, while the patient's body is subjected to enormous stress. With this treatment, pathogenic bacteria develop antibiotic resistance very quickly, and many people develop severe allergies to medications.
Scientists of the National Research Technological University "MISIS" (NUST MISIS) and their colleagues have developed an implantation material with metal nanoparticles that effectively suppresses the growth and spread of pathogenic bacteria without having an inhibitory effect on the cells of the immune system – lymphocytes.
"We implanted platinum and iron ions into the matrix, which is a biocompatible ceramic coating TiCaPCON (titanium-calcium-phosphorus-carbon-oxygen-nitrogen). As a result, metal nanoparticles, several nanometers in size, are formed on the surface of the coating. A potential difference of about 60 mV is formed between the nanoparticles and the ceramic matrix. Upon contact with the surface of the material, the bacterial membrane can be destroyed," said Viktor Ponomarev, the main author of the study, a graduate student of the Department of Powder Metallurgy and Functional Coatings at NUST MISIS.
In addition, after sterilization of the implant with a coating under ultraviolet radiation, a large number of free radicals are generated, which lead to the death of bacteria.
According to the authors of the study, during their experiments, the developed material destroyed 98% of bacteria in 8-12 hours, including Staphylococcus aureus and epidermal Staphylococcus, E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae. Now scientists are considering testing the obtained samples inside a living organism (in vivo). Another promising application of the developed material may be the creation of filters for water purification.
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