NanoDynamics Inc. announced that
its subsidiary ND Life Sciences received a six-month, $100,000 Phase I
SBIR contract from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH)
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Based in
Pittsburgh, ND Life Sciences develops nanomaterials and nano-enabled
technologies specifically for applications in biotechnology and
medicine. The contract, which took effect this September,
will support NanoDynamics’ joint efforts with the University
of Pittsburgh to address the critical issue of infection associated
with ventricular assist devices (VADs), and specifically the drivelines
of these devices.
The University of Pittsburgh and ND Life Sciences will use
this SBIR funding to speed the development of nanotechnology-based
infection-resistant driveline coatings. This work will also
be directly applicable to other widely used medical device implants
such as shunts and catheters.
“With cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of
death in the U.S., it has been estimated that between 15,000 and 50,000
patients, including children, could benefit annually from mechanical
circulatory support devices including total artificial heart implants
and VADs,” said Dr. Harvey Borovetz, professor and chair,
department of bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh.
“To achieve improved clinical outcomes with these devices, a
viable and proven antimicrobial solution is needed for entry point
components such as drivelines, as entry point areas are often a locus
for patient infection.”
“The majority of intracorporeal device infections
are caused by biofilm forming bacteria and fungi, which severely limits
the antibiotic arsenal available to treat them,” said Dr.
Alan Russell, director of McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine
and university professor of surgery at the University of
Pittsburgh. “With limited success in the reduction
of device associated infections, the most often-used therapy to treat
an infection is outright removal of the device.”
Work funded by the SBIR contract will investigate the ability
of coatings with anti-infective nanosilver to increase biocompatibility
and inhibit bacteria adhesion on the surfaces of indwelling medical
devices.
“The antimicrobial activity of silver in its ionic
form has been well-known for centuries,” explained Dr. Alan
Rae, vice president of NanoDynamics’ strategic business unit,
ND Innovations. “In fact, of all metal ions, silver
exhibits the highest toxicity for microorganisms without being a threat
to healthy mammalian cells. In addition, nano-scale silver
has uniform distribution capabilities along with a large surface area
to ensure the release of effective concentrations of silver to combat
bacteria.”
Posted 7th December 2007
