Biofilms & Chronic Wound Infection

Posted in: Press Releases

The impact of biofilms on chronic wound infection is well known today. Research has shown the involvement of biofilms with impeding the healing of wounds and increasing the risk of infection. Because the biofilm protects microorganisms from the human body’s innate immune response, patients may experience issues with healing. The patient’s own body might actually help protect the biofilm as an inflammatory response, thus preventing the breakup of biofilm which can cause delayed wound healing or possible injury to the tissue that is healing.

Biofilms in Wounds:

How can you tell if you have a biofilm-impaired wound? The first sign might be when you start to notice that the wound is slow to heal, or not healing at all (even with antibiotics). It might also have an unpleasant smell near the wound site and may appear to be a bit mucky looking.

Example of a biofilm-impaired wound (below):

What are Biofilms?

Biofilms are a glue-like substance excreted by bacteria and fungi to attach to surfaces that protect and allow bacteria to survive and thrive in hostile environments.

Biofilm-related infections are difficult to treat and they commonly manifest themselves as chronic or recurrent in nature. According to an estimate by the National Institute of Health (NIH), approximately 80% of all human bacterial infections are caused by biofilms. These structures are implicated in a range of health concerns such as periodontal disease, the healing of chronic wounds, medical device associated infection, inflammatory skin conditions, Hospital-Acquired Infections (HAIs) and food safety.

Biofilms are pervasive and represent the most prevalent bacterial mode of growth. They form on living and non-living surfaces and can be found in natural, industrial, and healthcare settings. Biofilms are recognized as having the ability to impact bodily tissues and can result in chronic infections and non-healing wounds.

In the United States, it is estimated 16 million new biofilm-based infections are diagnosed annually. The current wound care global market is expected to reach US $22 billion in 2022.

Biofilms & Antibiotic Resistance:

Biofilm impaired healing is the largest unresolved problem in wound care. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified resistant bacteria, which biofilms are a major contributor, as being a serious and urgent clinical and financial burden to health care systems and patients.

Biofilms make bacteria up to 1,000 times more resistant to antibiotics and antimicrobials. Biofilms are one of the main contributors to antibiotic resistance (AR) and is predicted to be the next global health crisis.

Prosthetic Joint Infections (PJI) are difficult to treat because biofilms are one of the most serious and prevalent complications of joint replacement. It is estimated that PJIs cost US hospitals US$1.6B annually with 15% of infections leading to amputation and mortality rates as high as 40% after 6 years.

The Unmet Need for Biofilm Disruption:

With 81 patents and patents pending, Kane Biotech is a leader in biofilm research. Kane has laboratory and clinical evidence that these technologies have the potential to significantly improve the ability to prevent and destroy biofilms. The prevention and management of biofilm in chronic wounds has become a primary objective in wound care, with the presence of biofilm recognized as a leading cause of delayed wound healing.

Kane Biotech has a growing pipeline of technologies based on their ongoing research on biofilm formation and how this process can be disrupted. Kane is committed to developing products to meet the demand for safe and effective anti-biofilm compounds for a variety of industries and applications.

The unmet need for biofilm disruption for wounds is a health crisis. Kane Biotech has several technologies including DispersinB® and coactiv+ that may provide innovative solutions to biofilm-impaired wound care and treatment. Learn more about Kane’s technologies: Biofilms | Kane Biotech

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