The federal government has awarded researchers at the U School of Medicine with $1.66 million to fund a new solution for implant infections.
The grant, presented by the National Institutes of Health, will fund the development of methods to implant artificial joints that reduce the risk of infection.
“Billions of dollars a year are lost due to infected implants, because once an implant is infected, it needs to be removed and likely replaced,” said Roy Bloebaum, the study’s principal researcher, in a press release. He is also a professor of orthopedics in the School of Medicine and director of the Bone and Joint Research Laboratory at the Veteran’s Affairs Salt Lake City Medical Center.
Using a biologically inspired substance might reduce the need for antibiotics and the risk of infection in implant recipients. CSA-13, a chemical that mimics bacteria-resistant proteins on human skin, is a promising solution for artificial joint infections.
Preliminary testing has shown that the chemical is capable of quickly killing bacteria when applied to an artificial joint, according to the U press release. It was developed by Paul Savage, a professor at Brigham Young University, and licensed to Ceragenix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for commercial development.
According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, between 1 and 2 percent of hip, knee and shoulder replacements in 2002 became infected. Once an implant has been infected, the likelihood of another infection can be as high as 40 percent.
Researchers hope the new chemical will reduce initial infection rates, implant replacement surgeries, and the need for extensive antibiotic use in artificial joint patients.
The study is currently in the research stage, but will potentially be ready for clinical trials in the near future.
Bloebaum and his fellow researchers are out the country and could not be reached for comment.