Design and implementation of silver-based nanoparticles for combating antibiotic resistance

Rapid increase of resistant bacterial infections is a major public health threat. Hence exploration of alternative treatment including nanomaterial based therapeutic strategies is receiving attention.

Multi-resistant bacterial strains and biofilm formation are major causes of healthcare associated infections including complicated surgical site infections/infections of skin and soft tissue.

Purulent wounds are associated with microbial persistence that alters healing and can lead to septic complications.VARIANT aims to utilize 3 types of silver-based nanocomposites, Ag/CaO, Ag/ZnO, chlorhexidine+Ag nanoparticles (NPs), which have demonstrated antibacterial effect in vitro and in vivo.

By combining and integrating these nanomaterials into novel nanofibrous wound healing patches the project aims to improve the application, efficacy and delivery of antimicrobials lowering the tendency of resistant bacteria to form biofilms and minimizing the risks of blood stream infections. The new patches are expected to lack toxic impact and have advanced biocompatibility and controlled degradation time.

They will be based on poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-chitosan electrospun scaffolds and be compared with existing commercially available bandages, patches and antibiotics to estimate their antibacterial efficacy against MRSA in a mouse model.

Unlike the conventional antibiotics, AgNPs based therapeutic agents are expected to overcome the formation of biofilms and bacterial resistance.