A new wound dressing made of cellulose fibers coated with peptides has been developed, which kills 99.99% of wound bacteria. Skin injuries can lead to severe wound infections, making it crucial to find new methods to cover wounds and keep them germ-free. Scientists at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) have developed a new antibacterial dressing made of cellulose fibers coated with peptides. The peptides have structures that allow them to bind to the cellulose fibers, while the other side has antimicrobial properties. Tests have shown that the dressing is effective in killing typical wound bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant strains.
According to Katharina Maniura, the head of the research team, the increasing antibiotic resistance poses a significant challenge to the treatment of skin wounds. Therefore, the medical field needs antibacterial dressings with alternatives to antibiotics. The new dressing uses cellulose as a base, from which micrometer-thin fibers are made and woven into a multi-layered fabric. The fibers are then coated with bifunctional peptides, which impair bacteria through multiple mechanisms and reduce the selection pressure for resistance. The dressing is also skin-friendly and retains its functional coating even under the specific chemical conditions of a wound.
In the future, the antimicrobial membrane could be functionalized with binding sites that allow for the controlled release of other therapeutic agents. The development of this new wound dressing is a significant step forward in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria and could revolutionize wound care.
