Image credit: Flickr user J blzzle
Post-operative infection following bone-repair is a burden to patients and health care systems. Although standard operating procedures call for meticulous sterilization of bone grafts, the porous nature of bone makes it a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. As such, the rate of post-operative infection remains significant. Researchers from Thomas Jefferson University recently published an article in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. They showed that a photoactive green porphyrin dye (TAPP) sticks to bone fragments and mitigates the growth of bacteria when activated by light. TAPP was shown to be stable in the dark, but produces reactive oxygen species when exposed to light, which are lethal to bacteria.
Small bone fragments were treated with TAPP and exposed to bacteria. In the presence of light, photoactive TAPP prevented the attachment and growth of bacteria on the bone. Moreover, bone fragments that were already colonized with bacteria and treated with TAPP, showed a reduction in biofilm. This study offers fascinating insight into the potential of photoactive sterilization of bone grafts. Overall, porphyrins are stable, well-tolerated compounds. Moreover, TAPP’s firm adherence to bone reduces the risk of leaching and toxicity to surrounding tissue. The translation of these findings into the clinical context may take time, but they provide important proof-of-principle for integration of this technique into sterilization and surgical work flows. The potential of photoactive bone graft sterilization is significant both as a pre-surgical procedure, as well as for ongoing targeted antibacterial treatment during surgery and implantation.
Study in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research: Porphyrin-adsorbed Allograft Bone: A Photoactive, Antibiofilm Surface…
Source: Thomas Jefferson University…
