446: Biofilm Benefits Bone Braces

This episode: The biofilm that probiotic bacteria can leave
behind on a titanium implant seems to help it integrate better
with the existing skeleton, with less inflammation and risk of
infection!


Download Episode (5.5 MB, 7.9 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Methylobacterium organophilum



News item


 


Takeaways




Skeletal implants make it a lot easier for many people to
stay mobile as they age, but the surgical procedure of
implanting is risky. Its invasive nature puts stress on the
immune system, which puts stress on other systems, and the
spread of antibiotic resistance is increasing the risk of a
hard-to-treat infection.


 


In this study, probiotic bacteria grow in a biofilm on
titanium implants before being inactivated, leaving only the
biofilm behind on the implant. This biofilm-coated implant
showed improved bone integration, antimicrobial resistance
that was not toxic to the body's own tissues, and reduced
inflammation when implanted into rats.



 
Journal Paper:
Tan L, Fu J, Feng F, Liu X, Cui Z, Li B, Han Y, Zheng Y, Yeung
KWK, Li Z, Zhu S, Liang Y, Feng X, Wang X, Wu S. 2020. Engineered
probiotics biofilm enhances osseointegration via immunoregulation
and anti-infection. Sci Adv 6:eaba5723.


Other interesting stories:



Certain gut microbes correlate with lower risk from
norovirus (paper)

Mixture of microbes similar to kombucha engineered to
produce living functional materials




 


Email questions or comments to bacteriofiles at gmail dot
com. Thanks for listening!


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