Antibiotic-Impregnated Liquid-Infused Coatings Suppress the Formation of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms

Abstract

Medical device-associated infections are an ongoing problem. Once an implant is infected, bacteria create a complex community on the surface known as a biofilm, protecting the bacterial cells against antibiotics and the immune system. To prevent biofilm formation, several coatings have been engineered to hinder bacterial adhesion or viability. In recent years, liquid-infused surfaces (LISs) have been shown to be effective in repelling bacteria due to the presence of a tethered liquid interface. However, local lubricant loss or temporary local displacement can lead to bacteria penetrating the lubrication layer, which can then attach to the surface, proliferate, and form a biofilm. Biofilm formation on biomedical devices can subsequently disrupt the chemistry tethering the slippery liquid interface, causing the LIS coating to fail completely. To address this concern, we developed a “fail-proof” multifunctional coating through the combination of a LIS with tethered antibiotics. The coatings were tested on a medical-grade stainless steel using contact angle, sliding angle, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results confirm the presence of antibiotics while maintaining a stable and slippery liquid interface. The antibiotic liquid-infused surface significantly reduced biofilm formation (97% reduction compared to the control) and was tested against two strains of Staphylococcus aureus, including a methicillin-resistant strain. We also demonstrated that antibiotics remain active and reduce bacteria proliferation after subsequent coating modifications. This multifunctional approach can be applied to other biomaterials and provide not only a fail-safe but a fail-proof strategy for preventing bacteria-associated infections.

Pathogen-Repellent Plastic Wrap with Built-In Hierarchical Structuring Prevents the Contamination of Surfaces with Coronaviruses

“… 36 , 37 Introduction of antipathogenic materials, such as carvacrol and antibiotics, into the lubricant has also been utilized to reducing the transmissibility of bacteria ( Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ), fungi ( Bacillus subtilis ), and viruses (Zika Virus) by nearly 100%. 38 , 39 Lubricant-infused surfaces have also displayed self-healing properties through the swelling of the surface structure in the presence of the lubricant; 40 however, the number of healing cycles is limited by the amount of lubricant trapped in the surfaces. 38 Despite high performance in liquid 27 , 41 and pathogen 25 , 36 , 38 , 42 repellency, liquid-infused surfaces are difficult to operate in open-air conditions due to the evaporation of the liquid layer and the limited stability of such surfaces.…”

Tuning the Biointerface: Low-Temperature Surface Modification Strategies for Orthopedic Implants to Enhance Osteogenic and Antimicrobial Activity

“…Although recently, Villegas et al reported an innovative method for increasing the durability of such coatings, by immobilizing antibiotics within a liquid-infused coating. 58 Electrochemical surface modification strategies, such as anodization and EPD, facilitate rapid fabrication of coatings with programmed surface chemistry and topography, on substrates of complex shape, while providing increased resistance to corrosion and metal ion release. Conversely, while anodization can introduce nanoscale topography to the underlying implant surface, incorporation of surface features on a single length scale fails to represent the spatial hierarchical structure of natural bone tissue.…”

DNAzyme-Based Biosensors: Immobilization Strategies, Applications, and Future Prospective

“…These DNA structures provide numerous benefits, including the ability to physically adsorb onto substrates such as paper without the need for any chemical modifications, resistance to nuclease activity, high signal-to-noise ratios, and suppression of non-specific protein adsorption . In terms of modifications to the sensing surface, lubricant infusion has garnered interest as a scalable modification that can improve biosensor performance through the omniphobicity it induces on sensing surfaces. − In particular, lubricant infused surfaces have demonstrated excellent blood repellency, making them ideal for use within clinical biosensors seeking to detect biomarkers within blood samples. − Furthermore, through the attachment of capture ligands onto such lubricated surfaces, selective cell adhesion has been achieved. ,, This presents a promising avenue toward cell-specific intracellular detection of biomarkers with increased precision. Hierarchical structuring has also been identified as a means through which omniphobicity can be induced and used for improvements in biosensing, presenting itself as another possible surface modification for future works .…”