Microbeads Reduce Infection in Burns

May-05-18 Microbeads able to prevent bacteria growth could help eliminate infections in burn wounds.

Developed by a team from the University of Birmingham, the microscopic polystyrene beads are coated with the protein ‘multivalent adhesion molecule 7,’ the same protein many bacteria use to bind to host cells. By outcompeting with the bacteria for binding sites, the beads can prevent the spread of infection, though they did not seem very effective on their own. However, when the beads were combined with debridement—a common method of cleansing burn wounds—they were much more effective at reducing or even eliminating infection spread.

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[NEWATLAS.COM]
[BIRMINGHAM.AC.UK]

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