An Integrated HOCl-Producing E-Scaffold Is Active against Monomicrobial and Polymicrobial Biofilms

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Microbiology
• Electrochemistry

Background:

• Antimicrobial resistance necessitates novel therapeutic strategies.
• Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) exhibits potent antimicrobial properties.
• Microbial biofilms pose significant challenges in treating infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an integrated electrochemical scaffold (e-scaffold) for targeted HOCl delivery.
• To assess the efficacy of the e-scaffold against diverse bacterial biofilms, including antibiotic-resistant strains.
• To establish a prototype device for potential human wound infection treatment.

Main Methods:

• Development of an e-scaffold for continuous, low-dose HOCl generation.
• Testing the e-scaffold against 33 monospecies and 12 dual-species *in vitro* bacterial biofilms.
• Polarization of the e-scaffold at 1.5 V for 1, 2, or 4 hours.
• Quantification of viable bacterial cell counts (CFU/cm²) post-treatment.

Main Results:

• The e-scaffold successfully produced HOCl through electrochemical oxidation of chloride ions.
• Four hours of e-scaffold treatment resulted in significant reductions in viable bacterial counts for both monospecies and dual-species biofilms.
• Average reductions of 6.13 log₁₀ CFU/cm² and 5.53 log₁₀ CFU/cm² were observed for monospecies and dual-species biofilms, respectively.

Conclusions:

• The integrated e-scaffold effectively reduces viable bacterial cell counts in biofilms.
• The developed e-scaffold demonstrates efficacy against a broad spectrum of bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant isolates.
• This technology shows promise as a novel therapeutic approach for treating biofilm-associated infections, particularly in wound care.