Development of novel NO-releasing biomaterials for the prevention of biofilm-associated infections

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The use of medical devices is increasing over time due to a combination of new products becoming available and an aging and increasingly debilitated Canadian population. The main problem with medical devices is their propensity to become infected with bacterial or fungal pathogens. When microorganisms become attached to a medical device, they grow into a sugar-coated community of cells called a biofilm, that becomes highly resistant to killing with either antibiotics or disinfectants. Biofilm infections are common and difficult to treat with conventional antibiotics, often requiring removal of an infected medical device. Many microorganisms are also becoming resistant to our limited arsenal of antibiotics, so new approaches to preventing infections of medical devices are urgently needed. We propose to design a biomaterial that will resist microbial colonization, the first and essential step of biofilm formation. This biomaterial will be coated with chemicals designed to repel proteins (which assist microorganisms in binding) and to release the immune modulatory compound nitric oxide (NO). NO has the advantages of both speeding healing of tissue and discouraging bacterial adherence to NO-eluting surfaces. This biomaterial will be tested for its ability to discourage microbial binding while improving healing, without using antibiotics. We plan to test its mechanical and biological properties using a range of biophysical, biochemical and microbiological techniques, ultimately testing the safety of the materials in an animal model prior to translation to human use.