Improvement of enzymes' anti-biofilm activity by immobilization on nanocellulose
Proof of Concept, Innovation Fund of the Republic of Serbia, 5124, 2020-2021
Principal Investigator: Dr Lidija Djokic, IMGGE
Participants from IMGGE: Dr Lidija Senerovic, dr Sanja Jeremic
Chronic, non-healing wounds represent a huge socioeconomic burden. Prevalence of chronic wounds is estimated at 2.2 per 1000 population, while total Medicare spending for wounds in the US ranges from $28.1 to $96.8 billion.
Wound chronicity was linked to biofilms that cause persistent infections resistant to standard antibiotic therapy. Promising therapeutic strategies against biofilm are bacterial enzymes. Enzymes’ anti-biofilm activity has been confirmed in vivo, but they exhibited poor stability and efficacy. Improvement of enzymes’ properties could be achieved through their immobilization. Nanocellulose emerged as prosperous nanomaterial for enzyme immobilization which in addition has desired properties for wound healing.
The main objective of this Project is improvement of enzymes’ anti-biofilm activity that will be achieved through immobilization of bacterial enzymes on nanocellulose.
Results obtained in this Project will be of invaluable help in the development of advanced bioactive functionalized wound dressing that will:
- prevent development of the infection in wounds, and
- enable proper therapy of infected chronic wounds together with antibiotics.