Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a devastating complication requiring surgical intervention and prolonged antimicrobial treatment. The prevalence of PJI is on the rise, with an average incidence of 60,000 cases per year and a projected annual cost of $1.85 billion in the US. The underlying pathogenesis of PJI involves the formation of bacterial biofilms that protect the pathogen from the host immune response and antibiotics, making it difficult to eradicate such infections. Biofilms on implants are also resistant to mechanical brushing/scrubbing methods of removal. Since the removal of biofilms is currently only achievable by the replacement of the prosthesis, therapies aimed at eradicating biofilms while enabling retention of implants will revolutionize the management of PJIs. To address severe complications associated with biofilm-related infections on implants, we have developed a combination treatment that is based on a hydrogel nanocomposite system, containing d-amino acids (d-AAs) and gold nanorods, which can be delivered and transforms from a solution to a gel state at physiological temperature for sustained release of d-AAs and light-activated thermal treatment of infected sites. Using this two-step approach to utilize a near-infrared light-activated hydrogel nanocomposite system for thermal treatment, following initial disruption with d-AAs, we were able to successfully demonstrate in vitro the total eradication of mature Staphylococcus aureus biofilms grown on three-dimensional printed Ti-6Al-4V alloy implants. Using a combination of cell assays, computer-aided scanning electron microscopy analyses, and confocal microscopy imaging of the biofilm matrix, we could show 100% eradication of the biofilms using our combination treatment. In contrast, we were only able to see 25% eradication of the biofilms using the debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention method. Moreover, our hydrogel nanocomposite-based treatment approach is adaptable in the clinical setting and capable of combating chronic infections brought about by biofilms on medical implants.
Keywords: antibacterial; antibiofilm; biofilms; gold nanorods; hydrogels; nanocomposites; photothermal treatment; prosthetic joint infections.