Broad-Spectrum Anti-Adhesive Coating Based on an Extracellular Polymer from a Marine Cyanobacterium.

Bruna Costa,Paula Parreira,Rita Mota,Fabíola Costa,Paula Tamagnini,M Cristina L Martins

doi:10.3390/md17040243

Abstract

Medical device-associated infections are a major health threat, representing about half of all hospital-acquired infections. Current strategies to prevent this problem based on device coatings with antimicrobial compounds (antibiotics or antiseptics) have proven to be insufficient, often toxic, and even promoting bacterial resistance. Herein, we report the development of an infection-preventive coating (CyanoCoating) produced with an extracellular polymer released by the marine cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp. CCY 0110. CyanoCoating was prepared by spin-coating and its bacterial anti-adhesive efficiency was evaluated against relevant etiological agents (Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli) and platelets, both in the presence or absence of human plasma proteins. CyanoCoating cytotoxicity was assessed using the L929 fibroblasts cell line. CyanoCoating exhibited a smooth topography, low thickness and high hydrophilic properties with mild negative charge. The non-cytotoxic CyanoCoating prevented adhesion of all the bacteria tested (≤80%) and platelets (<87%), without inducing platelet activation (even in the presence of plasma proteins). The significant reduction in protein adsorption (<77%) confirmed its anti-adhesive properties. The development of this anti-adhesive coating is an important step towards the establishment of a new technological platform capable of preventing medical device-associated infections, without inducing thrombus formation in blood-contacting applications.

Highlights

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are considered a major challenge in healthcare units worldwide, resulting in increased morbidity, mortality and medical costs
Our findings demonstrated that this coating is biocompatible and blood-compatible, being suitable to be applied to a wide-range of surfaces
In order to obtain the extracellular polymer that was subsequently used for the development of the coating, the cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp

Summary

Introduction

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are considered a major challenge in healthcare units worldwide, resulting in increased morbidity, mortality and medical costs. In the United States only, about 1.7 million cases of HAIs are reported annually, and more than half are associated with bacterial colonization and biofilm formation on medical implants [1]. Mar. Drugs 2019, 17, 243; doi:10.3390/md17040243 www.mdpi.com/journal/marinedrugs. Current treatments are based in prolonged systemic antibiotherapy, but have proven to be insufficient, often toxic, and can even promote bacterial resistance. These treatments are ineffective in preventing the need to remove the device [4]. The development of new materials and/or surface coatings that avoid bacterial colonization, and biofilm formation, is crucial to minimize this worldwide problem

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