Novel Electrochemical Bandage for Treatment of Wound Infections

Mayo Clinic Rochester, Rochester MN

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Biofilm bacteria cause two-thirds of infections in modern clinical practice, including wound infections. Host defenses and most available antibiotics are inactive against biofilms, rendering the infections they cause challenging to treat. Given the failure of antibiotics in management of biofilm-associated infections, novel and innovative approaches are needed. Avoiding antibiotics will also decrease the dysbiosis and selection of genotypic antibiotic resistance linked to their use. Our team, which includes microbiologists and animal and human researchers at Mayo Clinic, alongside electrochemists and biofilm engineers at Washington State University, is developing novel, mechanistically precise, potentiostatically driven electrochemical anti-biofilm devices for wound infection prevention and treatment, and promotion of wound healing, which we call electrochemical bandages (e-bandages). During the current funding period, we designed and constructed a small prototype e-bandage controlled by a customized micropotentiostat that continuously generates non-toxic concentrations of H2O2. We tested the H2O2-generating e-bandage in vitro and in mice. in vitro activity was demonstrated against mono- and dual-species biofilms formed by 34 bacterial and 15 yeast isolates. The e- bandage prevented and treated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) biofilms in a porcine ear explant model and was then evaluated in vivo in a wound MRSA and/or Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection model in mice where, compared to non-polarized or no e-bandage treatment, polarized e-bandage treatment reduced bacterial counts in infected wounds, improved wound closure, and decreased wound purulence. Based on success developing a small, H2O2-producing e-bandage and micropotentiostat to control its operation, and demonstration of efficacy in treating wound infections in mice, we propose to scale up the device to sizes suitable for human wounds of varying dimensions. We will confirm infection treatment and wound healing activity and assess wound infection prevention in swine, and preliminarily evaluate safety on healthy human skin. e-Bandages will be designed to conform to varying wound dimensions and geometries while contacting uneven wound topologies to deliver H2O2 to the entire injury. We hypothesize that H2O2- producing e-bandages will prevent and treat MRSA and P. aeruginosa infections and improve wound healing in swine. We will preliminarily assess safety and tolerability of e-bandages when placed on normal human skin. We hypothesize that H2O2-producing e-bandages will be well-tolerated by humans. Our goal is to have a product ready for testing in human wounds at the end of our studies - that is, a product for infection prevention and treatment, and promotion of wound healing. The innovative H2O2-producing e-bandage strategy provides an original way to address wound infection prevention and treatment, avoiding conventional antibiotics and, therefore selective pressure on commensal microbiota and emergence of antibiotic resistance.