Bacterial biofilms are associated with approximately 1.7 million hospital-acquired infections annually in the United States1. Once a biofilm is formed, not only is a local infection likely to reoccur2,3 but the cells within it can be over 1000x more resistant to antibiotics . This requires even more potent medication to have the desired effect, which results in the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant superbugs, an issue of great concern in the fight against infectious disease4.
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Our treatment circumvents biofilms by modifying the surfaces of implanted silicone devices to dramatically resist microbial adhesion. The permanently transformed surface repels bacteria, fungi and viruses, restricting the growth that promotes infection. According to testimonials from patients and clinicians, Foley catheters with Silq treatment have demonstrated a clear potential to reduce infection rates and are currently in clinical trials
Observed under electron microscopy, the treatment significantly reduces the bacteria's ability to adhere to the surface and form into a biofilm.
Below we demonstrate the effect of the Silq surface treatment on silicone tubes using glitter to represent cells floating in a medium. Two tubes are shown, a regular medical grade silicone version on the left and the Silq surface treated version on the right. This demonstrates the same phenomenon that resists the adhesion of microbial cells to medical device surfaces.
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1 Sharma et al. Antibiotics versus biofilm: an emerging battleground in microbial communities. Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control (2019) 8:76
2 Olivares, Elodie et al. Clinical Impact of Antibiotics for the Treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Infections. Frontiers in Microbiology Vol. 10, 2894
3 Mah, TF et al. Mechanisms of biofilm resistance to antimicrobial agents. Trends in Microbiology. (2001) Vol. 10, 34-39
4 Mah,TF. Biofilm-specific Antibiotic Resistance. Future Microbiology. Vol. 7(9) 1061-1072
