Scientists at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in China have developed an injectable hydrogel to treat antibiotic-resistant infections around prosthetics, potentially serving as a better treatment for individuals who develop infections after knee and hip replacement surgeries.
Hydrogels are cross-linked polymers that are highly absorbent yet able to retain their structure. The hydrogel developed by the research team was enhanced with black phosphorous (BP) and was seen to inhibit common bacteria and promote tissue regrowth in in vitro testing.
“Hydrogels are considered ideal repair materials for soft tissues because of their superior biocompatibility, controllable physicochemical properties, and efficient tissue adaptation,” Zhengwei Cai, corresponding author of the study, told Happiest Health.
Moreover, exposure to near infrared light ray caused the embedded silver ions in the hydrogel to be released. These silver ions are mainly responsible for the antibacterial property of the hydrogels, which was also seen to be non-toxic to living tissue.
“In vivo, the BP coated hydrogel was proven to have antibacterial and anti-inflammation effects, and enhance collagen deposition and angiogenesis, thus accelerating the healing process,” said Ruixin Lin, author of the study, said in a statement.
It was also observed that these hydrogels were highly efficient in killing the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, the most common infection causing agent in humans.
“It is important to explore a new strategy for treatment of infected soft tissue wounds because it is directly related to prognosis,” Lin added.
Prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are a common outcome of hip and knee replacement surgeries, with the infection sometimes turning life threatening for individuals. Removal of the infected tissue, using antibiotics and tissue transplantation are considered the gold standard of treatment for this today.
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However, antibiotic abuse and drug resistant bacteria have made PJIs increasingly difficult to treat post-surgery. Now, the researchers hope the new injectable hydrogels could pave the -way for a minimally invasive treatment option for individuals who develop infections post-surgery.
The researchers say they are planning to conduct clinical studies on larger populations to support the safety and efficacy of the hydrogels they have developed.
