Researchers Use Bioactive Glass to Heal Chronic Wounds

University of Birmingham (United Kingdom) researchers have discovered a promising new way to heal chronic wounds.

The investigators found that silver retains antimicrobial activity longer when it is incorporated into bioactive glass, and the combination delivers more long-lasting antimicrobial wound protection than conventional alternatives. Bioactive glass is a unique class of synthetic biomaterials made from silicone and have been used for a number of years in bone grafting.    
 
Silver has long been known to prevent or reduce biofilms (bacterial communities) growth in open wounds, and silver-based treatments are increasingly popular because they are effective against many antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. These antimicrobial properties depend on silver remaining in an ionic form so it can penetrate bacterial cell walls and disrupt their life cycle, but the silver ions or nanoparticles in wound dressings are prone to transforming to silver sulphide or silver chloride, which can reduce antimicrobial activity and impact healing.  
 
University researchers investigated the effects of bioactive glass doped with ionic silver on biofilms formed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a multi-drug resistant bacterium that easily forms biofilms and is a common cause of infection in chronic wounds.  
 
A study published in the journal Biofilm showed that specific preparation, storage, and application techniques can minimize the transformation of silver ions to silver chloride, thus retaining antimicrobial activity. those who worked on the study are microbiology researcher Dr. Sarah A. Kuehne, biomaterials expert Dr. Gowsihan Poologasundarampillai, and multidisciplinary Ph.D. student Sandeep Shirgill from the University of Birmingham’s School of Dentistry; Dr. Sara Jabbari from the School of Mathematics; and Dr. John Ward from Loughborough University’s Department of Mathematic Sciences.  
 
The Birmingham team has substantial experience in bioactive glass, which is currently used as a bioactive degradable graft material. In this application, the critical aspects of bioactive glass are its fibrous form, which provides a 3D porous structure that is robust, packable, and the diameter and density of the glass fibres to support tissue growth.
 
Post-doctoral researcher Dr Sam Moxon, who works with the Birmingham team, has been exploring the use of these materials in dental surgery and wound care. He has just completed an Innovate U.K.-funded program called ICURe (Innovation to Commercialisation of University Research) and the team is now working to gain regulatory approval of the material. 
 
The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions, and its work brings together researchers and teachers and more than 6,500 international students from nearly 150 countries. University of Birmingham Enterprise helps researchers turn their ideas into new services, products, and enterprises that meet real-world needs. It also provides incubation and supports innovators and entrepreneurs with mentoring, advice, and training, as well as manages the university’s Academic Consultancy Service.