Nano-coatings for prosthetics

Pedro Soares-Castro

Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Portugal

Joint replacement surgeries are on the rise as a consequence of population ageing. This, in turn, results in a higher incidence of prosthetic joint infections (PJI), one of the most feared and common complications of this type of surgery. These infections are primarily attributed to the persistent growth of microbial biofilms, often associated to multidrug resistance. Consequently, PJIs lead to problems with the prosthetic device and potentiate chronic or recurrent disease.

The use of nanotechnology to develop new coatings with antimicrobial properties is a focus of research for the treatment and prophylaxis of prosthetic joint infections. The Color2Coat project will explore for the first time the antimicrobial properties of a combination of silver nanostars with a microbial phenazine, which is a pigment with antimicrobial activity against human pathogens. The aim is that, when applied to titanium alloy materials, this new nanocoating will prevent infections.

The team, with a strong background in microbiology, biophysics and nanomedicine, will produce this innovative nanocoating by characterising its physical properties and evaluating its antimicrobial effect against pathogens associated with prosthetic infections, as well as its compatibility with tissue and immune cell models.

Nano-coatings for prosthetics based on microbial phenazines conjugated with silver nanostars

Stage 1