A silver lining to every implant? New anti-bacterial coating could make it so

Patients with medical device implants could soon face lower risks of infection, thanks to a new silver-based coating developed by researchers at the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute. “This is a highly effective coating that won’t harm human tissues and could potentially eliminate implant-associated infections,” said study co-author Dr. Jayachandran Kizhakkedathu, a professor in UBC’s department of pathology and laboratory medicine, Centre for Blood Research and Life Sciences Institute. “It could be very cost-effective and could also be applicable to many different products.” Patients with implanted medical devices are vulnerable to infection, typically from contamination during the implant procedure. Urinary tract infections from catheters, for example, are among the most common hospital-acquired infections, according to a media release from UBC. Read: Baby gets heart transplant with a twist to fight rejection While the bacteria-fighting property of silver has been known for years, its use on implanted devices has presented many challenges. Silver can be toxic and when too much of is used, it can harm human cells and tissues. Many existing silver coatings aren’t durable enough, are prone to protein- or crystal buildup, or just don’t stick well to the surface of devices and implants. Other coatings also lead to bacteria build-up because they’re designed to kill bacteria on contact. This requires bacteria to attach to the coating and over time dead bacteria builds up on the surface. “We’re preventing that by keeping bacteria off the surface in the first place, and then killing them with the release of silver,” said study co-author Dr. Dirk Lange, an associate professor in UBC’s department of urologic sciences and director of basic science research at the Stone Centre at Vancouver General Hospital. “Since we prevent attachment of both live and dead bacteria, this coating has significant potential to maintain a clean surface for any device or material for an extended period of time, which is something we haven’t seen so far.” Read: Calgary doctor wins prestigious Red Dot award for innovation that allows multi-patient ventilator use The novel formulation from UBC and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute combines silver nitrate, dopamine and two hydrophilic polymers. Once a device is implanted, the coating releases silver ions gradually in small, controlled quantities—enough to kill bacteria but not harm human cells. It also repels live and dead bacteria and other fouling agents to keep the surface clean. The coating, which can be applied to almost any non-pretreated material used to make medical devices such as catheters, feeding tubes, grafts, stents or orthopedic implants, maintains its bacteria-killing activity longer than other coatings, according to the UBC media release. The amount of silver required for the coating–which still has to go through clinical trials—is so small and would add only about 50 cents to the cost of a catheter, said the release. Read: Look Ma, no needles: Newly approved injection system is completely puncture-free

A silver lining to every implant? New anti-bacterial coating could make it so

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