UBC and Vancouver CHRI Researchers Developed an Antibacterial Coating
Researchers from the University of British Columbia and the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (CHRI) have recently developed a nontoxic silver-based coating for medical implants that resists and kills bacteria. The antibacterial coating is also noted to help prevent patients with implanted medical devices from getting infections.
One of the main challenges with silver is the toxicity of the material. While enough will successfully kill bacteria, too much can have negative effects on human cells and tissues. To mitigate some of these issues, the UBC team combined silver nitrate, dopamine, and two hydrophilic polymers to develop a coating with durable and adhesive properties.
“This is a highly effective coating that won’t harm human tissues and could potentially eliminate implant-associated infections. It could be very cost-effective and could also be applicable to many different products,” said Dr. Jayachandran Kizhakkedathu, professor in UBC’s department of pathology and laboratory medicine, Centre for Blood Research and Life Sciences Institute and co-senior author of the study.