Dose controlled nitric oxide-based strategies for antibacterial property in biomedical devices

Abstract

Infections caused by bacterial adhesion and biofilms are a significant health and economic problem, resulting in considerable patient morbidity and mortality. Nitric oxide (NO), a small molecule and free radical, is known to be an antimicrobial agent that acts on bacteria via oxidative stress and release of peroxynitrites. These unique properties make NO release a simple and effective method to address bio-film associated clinical complications that frequently appears in the biomedical devices. Despite the usefulness of NO being established several years ago, there is still little translation into the clinical or medical scenario. This may be attributed to the dose sensitivity of NO. In this work, we have clearly summarized dose-dependent effects of NO and control mechanisms of NO release in biomedical devices. This review provides concise knowledge that helps in reducing the gap between research and clinical translation of NO use in biomedical devices.