Bernal Institute, School of Engineering, University of Limerick, Ireland; Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Ireland.
Bernal Institute, School of Engineering, University of Limerick, Ireland.
Carbohydr Polym. 2021 May 15;260:117803. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.117803. Epub 2021 Feb 14.
Biofilm-related infections and contamination of biomaterials are major problems in the clinic. These contaminations are frequently caused by Staphylococcus aureus and are a pressing issue for implantable devices, catheters, contact lenses, prostheses, and wound dressings. Strategies to decrease contamination and biofilm related infections are vital for the success of implantable biomaterials. In this context, hyaluronic acid (HA), a naturally derived carbohydrate polymer, known to be biocompatible, degradable, and immunomodulatory, has shown some antimicrobial activity effects. Due to its poor structural stability, crosslinking strategies, and the incorporation of reinforcing fibres in HA gels is required to produce tailored gels for varying applications. Whilst carbon-based reinforcing materials, such as carbon nanofibers (CNF), present some intrinsic antimicrobial activity related to their high surface area, herein, a crosslinking strategy to enhance the mechanical properties and regulate the rate of degradation of HA is presented. We utilise bis-(β-isocyanatoethyl) disulphide (BIED) as the crosslinker with the gel reinforced using 0.25 wt% CNF. The effects of CNF and BIED on the structural, mechanical, thermal, and swelling behaviour are examined. These new HA derivatives exhibit excellent mechanical properties and are capable of withstanding physiological stresses in vivo. Antimicrobial activity of the HA derivatives were tested against Staphylococcus aureus and the results reveal antibacterial effect. These carbohydrate based materials have potential application on surfaces within clinical settings where staphylococcal contamination is currently an issue.
生物膜相关感染和生物材料污染是临床中的主要问题。这些污染通常由金黄色葡萄球菌引起，对植入物、导管、隐形眼镜、假体和伤口敷料等都是紧迫的问题。减少污染和生物膜相关感染的策略对于植入生物材料的成功至关重要。在这种情况下，透明质酸 (HA) 是一种天然来源的碳水化合物聚合物，具有生物相容性、可降解性和免疫调节性，已显示出一些抗菌活性。由于其结构稳定性差，需要交联策略和在 HA 凝胶中加入增强纤维，以生产用于各种应用的定制凝胶。虽然碳基增强材料，如碳纤维纳米纤维 (CNF)，具有与其高表面积相关的一些固有抗菌活性，但在这里提出了一种交联策略来增强 HA 的机械性能并调节其降解速率。我们使用双-(β-异氰酸根乙基)二硫化物 (BIED) 作为交联剂，并用 0.25wt%的 CNF 增强凝胶。研究了 CNF 和 BIED 对结构、机械、热和溶胀行为的影响。这些新型 HA 衍生物具有优异的机械性能，能够承受体内的生理应力。对 HA 衍生物进行了针对金黄色葡萄球菌的抗菌活性测试，结果显示出抗菌效果。这些基于碳水化合物的材料在临床环境中存在葡萄球菌污染的表面上具有潜在的应用。
