Design and implementation of silver-based nanoparticles for combating antibiotic resistance

• Joerg Opitz, Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS, Germany (Coordinator)
• Maksym Pogorielov, University of Latvia, Latvia (Partner)
• Rafal Banasiuk, NanoWave, Poland (Observer)
• Cecilia Stålsby Lundborg, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden (Partner)

Rapid increase of resistant bacterial infections is considered as a major public health threat and hence exploration of alternative treatment procedures including development of nanomaterials based therapeutic strategies is receiving much attention. Multi-resistant bacterial strains and biofilm formation are major causes of healthcare associated infections including complicated surgical site infections, including infection of the skin and soft tissue. Purulent wounds are associated with microbial persistence that alters healing and can lead to septic complications. The proposed project VARIANT aims to utilize three types of silver-based nanocomposites, Ag/CaO, Ag/ZnO, chlorhexidine +Ag nanoparticles, which have previously demonstrated antibacterial effect in vitro and in vivo. By combination and integration of these nanomaterials into wound healing patches the project aims to improve the application, efficacy and delivery of antimicrobials lowering the tendency of antimicrobial resistant bacteria to form biofilms as well as minimizing the risks of blood stream infections. The efficiency of new-developed antibacterial patches made from hydrogels or based on polylactic acid (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCA) electrospun scaffolds will be compared with the existing commercially available bandages, patches, and antibiotics to see their antibacterial efficacy against MRSA in a mouse model. Unlike the conventional antibiotics, NPs based therapeutic agents are expected to overcome the formation of biofilms and developing resistance to conventional antibiotic agents.