Bowden Lucy C, Sithole Sidney T, Walton Emilia C, Han Chen Jun, Sorensen Jason J, Bowden Anton E, Jensen Brian D, Berges Bradford K
Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA.
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA.
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2025 Jul 8:e0105325. doi: 10.1128/aem.01053-25.
Implant-associated infections caused by are a growing problem for healthcare systems. Implant materials that resist bacterial colonization may help reduce infection rates and severity. This research examined the effect of a copper-coated carbon-infiltrated carbon nanotube surface (Cu-CICNT). We have previously shown that CICNT without copper has an anti-biofilm effect, and copper has long been known to have anti-bacterial properties. Bacterial biofilms were grown in a droplet on the Cu-CICNT surface, and a control consisting of copper deposited on a relatively flat, non-nanotube-structured surface. The Cu-CICNT surface was highly effective at reducing biofilm formation, reducing recoverable bacteria by 99.9999% in 12 hours (a 6.3-log reduction). This effect was confirmed in both a methicillin-resistant and a methicillin-sensitive isolate of . The Cu-CICNT surface was also highly effective against , resulting in a 6.9-log reduction in adherent bacteria. The Cu-CICNT surface was more effective at inhibiting biofilm formation than the flat copper-coated titanium, indicating a synergistic effect between the CICNT topography and copper. The concentration of copper ions in growth media was low after exposure to Cu-CICNT (6.2 ppm), and media with this amount of supplemented copper had only a small effect on biofilm reduction, as did conditioned media previously exposed to Cu-CICNT. Our findings suggest that the antibacterial effect is likely due to contact killing of bacteria on the textured copper surface.IMPORTANCEOrthopedic implants and devices are becoming increasingly common. Unfortunately, as their use increases, so does the prevalence of implant-associated infections. These infections are most commonly caused by the bacterium infections are particularly difficult to treat because they form biofilms resistant to antibiotics and the host immune system. In this research, we used a carbon nanotube-based surface combined with a thin film of copper to produce a surface coating that could be used on implants to prevent bacterial infection. The combination of the surface topography with the copper coating resulted in over a 6-log reduction in the number of adherent bacteria, preventing the formation of a bacterial biofilm. This reduction in adherent bacteria is likely due to the surface killing effects of the bacteria on contact. The potential applications of such a surface could help reduce infection burden, improve patient quality of life, and reduce stress on healthcare systems.
由……引起的植入物相关感染对医疗系统来说是一个日益严重的问题。能够抵抗细菌定植的植入材料可能有助于降低感染率和感染严重程度。本研究考察了铜包覆碳渗透碳纳米管表面(Cu-CICNT)的效果。我们之前已经表明,不含铜的CICNT具有抗生物膜作用,而且长期以来人们都知道铜具有抗菌特性。在Cu-CICNT表面的液滴中培养细菌生物膜,并设置一个对照,即把铜沉积在相对平坦、无纳米管结构的表面上。Cu-CICNT表面在减少生物膜形成方面非常有效,在12小时内可使可培养细菌减少99.9999%(减少6.3个对数级)。在耐甲氧西林和对甲氧西林敏感的……分离株中均证实了这种效果。Cu-CICNT表面对……也非常有效,使附着细菌数量减少6.9个对数级。Cu-CICNT表面在抑制生物膜形成方面比平坦的镀铜钛更有效,这表明CICNT形貌与铜之间存在协同效应。暴露于Cu-CICNT后,生长培养基中铜离子的浓度较低(6.2 ppm),添加了此量铜的培养基对生物膜减少的影响很小,之前暴露于Cu-CICNT的条件培养基也是如此。我们的研究结果表明,抗菌作用可能是由于有纹理的铜表面对细菌的接触杀灭。
重要性
骨科植入物和器械正变得越来越普遍。不幸的是,随着其使用的增加,植入物相关感染的发生率也在上升。这些感染最常见的是由……细菌引起的,这些感染特别难以治疗,因为它们会形成对抗生素和宿主免疫系统有抗性的生物膜。在本研究中,我们使用基于碳纳米管的表面结合铜薄膜来制备一种可用于植入物以预防细菌感染表面涂层。表面形貌与铜涂层的结合使附着细菌数量减少超过6个对数级,从而防止细菌生物膜的形成。附着细菌数量的这种减少可能是由于细菌接触时表面的杀灭作用。这种表面的潜在应用有助于减轻感染负担、改善患者生活质量并减轻医疗系统的压力。