Antimicrobial biomaterials and biotechnology for preventing implant-associated infections

Medical implants have been widely used to satisfy the functionality of missing body parts. Implant-related infections are common in patients with these implanted devices, such as breast implants and orthopedic implants. For example, Staphylococci, especially Staphylococcus aureus, have a strong tendency to colonize on implants and cause severe implant-related infections. Pathogenic bacteria tend to form biofilms on the surface of implants, thus protecting the bacteria from antibiotic treatments. Moreover, the dramatic increase of microbial resistance against conventional available antibiotics is a huge challenge to the effective management of bacteria. This situation necessitates the development of innovative anti-microbial strategies to combat implant-related infections. Due to the increased cost and challenges to develop new antibiotics, researchers shift their focus to exploring alternative antibacterial strategies with less possibility of developing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Of note, there have been significant advances in materials engineering and biotechnology in the development of new and more effective systems with antimicrobial properties. In this field, these designs typically include broad antimicrobial biomaterial strategies that make use of per se biocidal polymers, biomaterials with specific surface architecture, nanotechnological platforms for targeted drug delivery, newly developed biotechnological antimicrobial compounds, and engineered living materials. Nevertheless, most of these strategies need to be further explored to achieve more effective and satisfactory applied-practice effects due to the diversity and complexity of microbial applications.

Therefore, the purpose of our initiation of this theme is to explore the development of antibacterial biomaterials and technologies with translation values for anti-microbial applications in breast implants and orthopedic devices. Those new antimicrobial strategies, including biomaterials coatings, controlled release for antibiotics, antibacterial ions for scaffolds, etc., take an integrated approach to microbiology, bridging fundamental research and its clinical, industrial, and environmental applications. It is expected that nanomaterial-based antibacterial strategies will continue to generate innovations tailored for diversified antimicrobial applications that are efficacious, compliant, and cost-effective

Taking together the potential research and novel techniques cover different anti-bacterial mechanisms and associated biotechnologies that could be applied in different conditions. This research covers the aspects of antimicrobial biomaterials, including, but not limited to,
(1) Biomaterial-microbe interactions
(2) The antimicrobial performance and translation potential of antimicrobial biomaterials
(3) The improvement of antimicrobial systems toward microorganisms
(4) The design of antimicrobial biomaterials
(5) The fabrication process or preparation method of antimicrobial biomaterials
(6) Chemical construction for antimicrobial biomaterials