Projects

A new bacteria repellent coating to mitigate healthcare-associated infections

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Research

Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are a major challenge worldwide, as they lead to increased mortality and higher costs for healthcare systems. This highlights the urgent need to discover new treatments that can replace the current use of aggressive antibiotics that rapidly become obsolete.

Aim

To develop AntiBioCoat, a new bacteria repellent coating that can control bacterial hospital-acquired infections without worsening microbial resistance.

Problem to Solve

HAI are considered a global health challenge as they cause further suffering to patients, aggravate patient prognosis and cause a high medical cost. Within HAI, catheter-associated infections are the most frequent infections.

Although current treatments involve prolonged aggressive antibiotic treatments and the surgical replacement of contaminated devices, the rise of bacterial resistance to conventional antibiotics, as well as an ageing population, highlights the need to develop new HAI mitigation strategies.

Innovation

AntiBioCoat is a highly efficient broad-spectrum bacteria repellent coating, specifically designed to reduce catheter-associated infections. AntiBioCoat coating technology prevents the adhesion of cells to medical devices, reducing bacterial colonisation and the formation of biofilm.

Level of Innovation

AntiBioCoat is based on a unique natural polymer produced by a marine cyanobacterium. Its composition is antibiotic and biocide-free so, in contrast to other HAI treatments, it prevents toxicity issues and the emergence of antibiotic resistance. AntiBioCoat’s biocompatibility has been tested successfully in vitro.