As arsenal of antibiotics dwindle, increasingly more effort is being focussed on the development of novel strategies to tackle drug resistant bacteria. This talk focusses on our efforts in engineering new polymeric materials to tackle antimicrobial resistance and infection. Recently, we have developed highly active dual-function polymer-silver nanocomposites consisting of an inherently antimicrobial and biodegradable polymer (N,N-dimethyl-N-hexadecyl ammonium chitin) in one-pot by in-situ reduction of a silver salt where polymer acted as reducing as well as stabilizing agent. The composite-coated surfaces inactivated completely drug-resistant bacteria including pathogenic fungi at a much faster rate than polymer alone and displayed long-lasting activity. In addition, surfaces coated with composites effectively inhibited both bacterial and fungal biofilm formation. Further, upon coating on catheter, the nanocomposites reduced methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) burden (&gt;99.99% reduction) in a mice. In another set of studies, injectable polymeric hydrogels have been engineered which are inherently bioadhesive and antimicrobial, and shown to possess wound-healing properties thus suitable to combat surgical site infections. The hydrogels have been developed in-situ from an antibacterial polymer, N-(2-hydroxypropyl)-3-trimethylammonium chitosan chloride, and a bioadhesive polymer, polydextran aldehyde. The gels were shown to be active against multidrug-resistant bacteria and efficacious in preventing sepsis in a cecum ligation and puncture (CLP) model in mice (62.5% mice survived) and was effective in facilitating wound healing in rats and ceasing bleeding from a damaged liver in mice. Notably, the gel showed negligible toxicity toward human red blood cells (only 2-3% hemolysis) and triggered no inflammation in the surrounding tissue upon subcutaneous implantation in mice, thus proving it as a safe and effective antibacterial sealant.

Engineering polymeric biomaterials in the era of antimicrobial resistance

2019 Spring National Meeting

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