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New bactericidal surgical suture coating
Yan Li1, Kushi N Kumar, Jeffrey M Dabkowski
1Department of Polymer Science & Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States.
Abstract:
This paper demonstrates the effectiveness of a new antimicrobial suture coating. An amphiphilic polymer, poly[(aminoethyl methacrylate)-co-(butyl methacrylate)] (PAMBM), inspired by antimicrobial peptides, was bactericidal against S. aureus in time-kill experiments. PAMBM was then evaluated in a variety of polymer blends using the Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) method and showed excellent antimicrobial activity at a low concentration (0.5 wt %). Using a similar antimicrobial coating formula to commercial Vicryl Plus sutures, disk samples of the coating material containing PAMBM effectively killed bacteria (98% reduction at 0.75 wt %). Triclosan, the active ingredient in Vicryl Plus coatings, did not kill the bacteria. Further Kirby-Bauer assays of these disk samples showed an increasing zone of inhibition with increasing concentration of PAMBM. Finally, the PAMBM-containing coating was applied to sutures, and the morphology of the coating surface was characterized by SEM, along with Vicryl and uncoated sutures. The PAMBM-containing sutures killed bacteria more effectively (3 log(10) reduction at 2.4 wt %) than Vicryl Plus sutures (0.5 log(10) reduction).
Insights
A novel antimicrobial suture coating, poly[(aminoethyl methacrylate)-co-(butyl methacrylate)] (PAMBM), effectively kills Staphylococcus aureus. This new coating demonstrates superior antimicrobial performance compared to existing commercial options like Vicryl Plus sutures.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Infectious Disease Research
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Surgical site infections are a significant concern, often caused by bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus.
- Current antimicrobial sutures have limitations in their efficacy.
- There is a need for advanced antimicrobial coatings to improve surgical outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a novel antimicrobial suture coating based on an amphiphilic polymer, poly[(aminoethyl methacrylate)-co-(butyl methacrylate)] (PAMBM).
- To compare the efficacy of PAMBM-containing coatings against Staphylococcus aureus with commercial antimicrobial sutures.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis and characterization of the amphiphilic polymer PAMBM.
- Antimicrobial efficacy testing using time-kill experiments and Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) methods.
- Evaluation of PAMBM in polymer blends and coating formulations.
- Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion assays.
- Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) for surface morphology analysis of coated sutures.
Main Results:
- PAMBM exhibited potent bactericidal activity against S. aureus in time-kill experiments.
- Antimicrobial activity was observed at low concentrations (0.5 wt %) in polymer blends.
- Coating formulations containing PAMBM achieved a 98% bacterial reduction, outperforming triclosan.
- PAMBM-containing sutures showed significantly greater bacterial reduction (3 log(10)) compared to Vicryl Plus sutures (0.5 log(10)).
Conclusions:
- The novel PAMBM polymer demonstrates significant potential as an effective antimicrobial coating for sutures.
- PAMBM offers a promising alternative to existing antimicrobial suture technologies, potentially reducing surgical site infections.
- Further development and clinical evaluation of PAMBM-coated sutures are warranted.
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