Australia: The results of two recent studies show that the University of South Australia’s new technology can revolutionize the treatment of burns in children by using stimulus-responsive dressings that can safely reduce infection and promote healing.

Research published in Acta Biomaterialia and Biomedicines magazines described the antibacterial effects of ultra-small silver nanoparticles on wound biofilms.

This finding is significant because burns are one of the most common injuries and one of the leading causes of death in children under four. Although the survival rate of burn patients treated for pediatric burns has improved significantly, it is still challenging, especially with the rise of multi-drug resistant bacteria.

A research team (Dr. Zlatko Kopecki, Professor Allison Cowin and Professor Krasimir Vasilev) of the Institute of Future Industries, University of South Australia has developed an advanced silver nanoparticle hydrogel coating dressing. This dressing releases ultra-small silver nanoparticles "on demand", which can safely decompose antibiotic-resistant bacteria and promote wound healing.

The therapeutic innovation lies in a delivery system that responds to changes in pH and temperature, and only activates when there is an infection.

Lead researcher, Dr. Zlatko Kopecki of the University of South Australia, said that this new treatment may significantly change the clinical management of burn infections.

"Wound infections and sepsis are daily problems in burned children," Dr. Kopecki said in a press release from the university.

"Silver-based wound care products can inhibit the growth of bacteria, but when they deliver too much silver to the wound, they can also cause toxicity.

"Our treatment is unique because it takes advantage of the antibacterial properties of silver, but avoids overexposure and only activates during infection.

"These advanced,'on-demand' silver nanoparticle dressings will regulate inflammation while promoting tissue regeneration, making them a safer and more effective treatment for children."

Professor Vasilev of UniSA said that this new technology will change the rules of the game for burn management.

"There are currently no responsive wound dressings on the market," said Professor Vasilev. "This collaborative effort will enable the use of smart materials to benefit patients and clinicians."

Dr. Bernard Carney and Dr. Andrew May, the research partners of the Burns Department of the Women's and Children's Hospital (WCH), are collaborating with UniSA to better understand the pathogens present in children's burns and develop targeted treatments.

"Every year, WCH's burn department treats approximately 600 children with burns, and scalds account for a large portion of these injuries," said Dr. May.

"The most common thing is that these incidents occur at home. Children under five are at the greatest risk because they like to imitate the behavior of adults, which means hot drinks, taps and pans are very dangerous areas.

"Despite advances in modern burn surgery, infection is still a major challenge for these vulnerable children, so topical silver therapy is widely used to combat this problem.

"We are very happy to work with the outstanding talents of the University of South Australia to bring new silver treatments so that children have the greatest chance to recover from burns and live the best lives."

1) The research titled "Multifunctional ultra-small AgNP hydrogel accelerates wound healing of Staphylococcus aureus infection" was published in Acta Biomaterialia.

DOI: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1742706121002440

2) The research titled "Using silver nanoparticle hydrogel treatment to eliminate mature bacterial biofilms and at the same time improve chronic wound healing" was published in the journal Biomedicine.

DOI: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/9/9/1182

Medha Baranwal joined Medical Dialogue in 2018 as the editor of Professional Medical Dialogue. She covers multiple medical majors, including cardiology, dentistry, diabetes and Endo, diagnostics, otolaryngology, gastroenterology, neuroscience and radiology. She completed a bachelor's degree in biomedical sciences at Du University, and then a master's degree in biotechnology at Amity University. She has 5 years of work experience in the fields of medical research writing, scientific writing, content writing and content management. You can contact her at editorial@medicaldialogues.in. Contact information. 011-43720751