Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States, have developed a way to adhere an ultra-thin antibacterial coating to a wound. The coating contains precise loads of silver nanoparticles. The coating is assembled on a flexible piece of rubber and then rubber stamped onto skin. First author Ankit Agarwal, a postdoctoral fellow in chemical and biological engineering, says silver has been used for ages to prevent and treat infections, “But silver can also kill skin cells, and therefore we need to develop materials that deliver antibacterial but nontoxic levels of silver to wounds.” Persistent wounds, from burns and certain diseases, are a major cause of pain, expense and disability. The new technology places the silver nanoparticles directly on the wound, allowing nontoxic silver doses – up to 100 times lower than commercial silver doses – to have antibacterial activity. The team should also be able to make a sustained-release version of the technology to reduce the need for repeated applications and painful dressing changes. According to Michael Schurr, a collaborator on the study and a professor of surgery, “Chronic wounds are a major national burden. If you look at the coming epidemic of diabetes, foot ulcers are very common in diabetes, and they often lead to amputation. Despite all the advances in surgery and medicine, the wound care we are providing now is much the same as what we offered 20 or 50 years ago.” The team’s findings were published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials. The article can be viewed online at the link below.
http://www.news.wisc.edu/19204