Abstract
Bacteria can colonize essentially any surface and form antibiotic resistant biofilms, which are multicellular structures embedded in an extracellular matrix secreted by the attached cells. To develop better biofilm control technologies, we recently demonstrated that mature biofilms can be effectively removed through on-demand shape recovery of a shape memory polymer (SMP) composed of tert-butyl acrylate (tBA). It was further demonstrated that such a dynamic substratum can sensitize the detached biofilm cells to antibiotics. However, this SMP can undergo shape change only once, limiting its application in long-term biofilm control. This motivated the present study, which aimed to prove the concept that biofilm can be effectively removed by repeated on-demand shape recovery. Reversible shape memory polymers (rSMPs) containing poly(ε-caprolactone) diisocyanatoethyl dimethacrylate (PCLDIMA) of varying molecular masses and butyl acrylate (BA) as a linker were synthesized by using benzoyl peroxide (BPO) as a thermal initiator. By comparison of several combinations of PCLDIMA of different molecular masses, a 2:1 weight ratio mixture of 2000 and 15000 g/mol PCLDIMA was the most promising because it had a shape transition (at 36.7 °C) close to body temperature. The synthesized rSMP demonstrated good reversible shape recovery and up to 94.3 ± 1.0% removal of 48 h Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 biofilm cells after three consecutive shape recovery cycles. Additionally, the detached biofilm cells were found to be 5.0 ± 1.2 times more susceptible to 50 μg/mL tobramycin than the static control.
Highlights
Microorganisms can attach to essentially any surface and develop multicellular structures known as biofilms
We demonstrated that the shape recovery of tert-butyl acrylate (tBA) based one-way shape memory polymer (SMP) can sensitize the detached biofilm cells to antibiotics likely due to the increase in the intracellular level of ATP and metabolic activity of detached cells.[23]
It was demonstrated that dynamic topography can sensitize the detached biofilm cells to antibiotics possibly due to the elevated intracellular ATP level and other related changes in cell physiology
Summary
Microorganisms can attach to essentially any surface and develop multicellular structures known as biofilms. Because of the complex 3D structure and protective extracellular matrix, biofilms enable microbes to survive under challenging conditions including antimicrobial agents and host immune systems.[1] The slow growth of bacterial cells in mature biofilms further contributes to the ineffectiveness of antibiotics, making mature biofilms extremely difficult to control.[2,3] modern technologies have gradually reduced healthcareassociated infection (HAI) rates in the past decades,[4] chronic infections associated with biofilms remain a major challenge in medicine This challenge has triggered intensive research on antifouling strategies. Further research on this approach may provide better biomaterials for fouling control including those for safer medical devices
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