Arch Biopartners and its affiliate Arch Biophysics have declared that Arch researchers have prevented the formation of biofilm on titanium with the help of the company's own peptide technology.
It was found that when Arch lead compounds ABP-0918 and ABP-0904 were coated on titanium, the affixing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was decreased by over 50%. The information obtained is akin to the previously obtained results where the lead compounds enabled preventing the attachment of a number of bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphlococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes and Streptococcus viridans to stainless steel.
Along with the outcome on biofilm formation, ABP-0918 and ABP-0904 maximized titanium hardness by over 50% when compared to the metal, which was not coated.
The company trusts that the results will offer opportunities for commercialization in the medical sector where formation of biofilms on stainless steel, titanium and other solid surfaces is a major problem. Implants and medical devices, which include catheters, dental and orthopedic implants, may cause microbial biofilm formation. These biofilms are mostly created by organisms that are antimicrobial-resistant. Studies have shown that over 75% of pneumonias, urinary tract infections and bloodstream infections beginning in hospitals are related to medical equipment and cost the healthcare sector billions of dollars for annual treatment.
Earlier tests, which included ABP-0904, ABP-0912 and ABP-0918 on stainless steel formed a new material that Arch researchers called 'bioorganic stainless steel'. Bioorganic stainless steel has a considerably high electron work function that shows modified characteristics with respect to the initial starting material. The bioorganic steel obtained from this process produces a product, which has approximately 40% more hardness and has a lower corrosion rate of approximately 50% lower corrosion rate when compared to normal stainless steel.