I-Corps: Improving Patient Outcomes via Surface-Tethered Peptides to Prevent Implant Infections

Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester MA

Investigators

Abstract

The aging of the US population and increasing popularity of sports are two of the biggest factors in the increase in fractures due to falls and other trauma. Failure rates due to infections ultimately cost the US 250 million dollars in extended hospital stays and revision surgeries. There are more than 2 million fracture fixation devices and 600,000 joint prostheses implanted each year in the US, in which musculoskeletal infection remains a serious concern. The team's technology will coat a biomaterial surface with naturally produced antimicrobial peptides to prevent bacterial biofilm formation, which is the initial step in the development of infections. The utilization of antimicrobial peptides represent a promising way to prevent and treat bacterial biofilms that form on implanted devices, thus eliminating infections and reducing cost, pain, and complications for the patient. The project will investigate the commercial viability of a peptide-based surface modification to prevent and reduce implant-associated infections, improve patient care and outcomes, and reduce health care costs to providers and insurance companies. The team?s motivation is the enhancement of biomedical devices to better serve the patient as well as reduce the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The surface chemistry of these peptides and linkers can be adapted to work on multiple surfaces and materials and thus be of use in a large variety of biomedical applications from implantable devices to surgical instruments. The expected outcome of this project is a surface modification that can be applied to a wide range of surfaces and solve unmet needs in multiple industries including the medical, food preparation and consumer goods industries.