Highly efficient imidazolium-containing oligomers for preventing MRSA biofilm and postoperative spinal infection

Animal Models for Postoperative Implant‐Related Spinal Infection

Postoperative infections following implant‐related spinal surgery are severe and disastrous complications for both orthopaedic surgeons and patients worldwide. They can cause neurological damage, disability, and death. To better understand the mechanism of these destructive complications and intervene in the process, further research is needed. Therefore, there is an urgent need for efficient, accurate, and easily available animal models to study the pathogenesis of spinal infections and develop new and effective anti‐bacterial methods. In this paper, we provide a general review of the commonly used animal models of postoperative implant‐related spinal infections, describe their advantages and disadvantages, and highlight the significance of correctly choosing the model according to the infection aspect under investigation. These models are valuable tools contributing to the better understanding of postoperative spinal infections and will continue to facilitate the invention of novel preventative and treatment strategies for patients with postoperative spinal infections. However, although they are valid and reproducible in some respects, the current animal models present certain limitations. Future ideal spinal infection animal models may assess the bacterial load of the same animal in real‐time in vivo, and better mimic the human anatomy as well as surgical techniques. Strains other than Staphylococcus aureus account for a large proportion of postoperative spinal infections, and thus, the establishment of models to evaluate other types of microbial infections is expected in the future. Furthermore, novel transgenic models established on advancements in genome editing are also likely to be developed in the future.

Development and characterization of catechin-in-cyclodextrin-in-phospholipid liposome to eradicate MRSA-mediated surgical site infection: Investigation of their anti-infective efficacy through in vitro and in vivo studies

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the prime pathogens responsible for surgical site infection (SSI). Treatment of SSI remains challenging because of resistant nature of MRSA, which is a major threat in recent years. Our previous work revealed the antibacterial potential of catechin isolated from cashewnut shell against MRSA. However, the application of catechin to treat MRSA-mediated SSI is hampered because of its poor solubility and low trans-dermal delivery. Hence, the present study focused on developing catechin-in-cyclodextrin-in-phospholipid liposome (CCPL) and evaluating its physicochemical characteristics and anti-infective efficacy through in vitro and in vivo models. Encapsulation of catechin with β-cyclodextrin and soybean lecithin was confirmed through UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, and XRD techniques, while TEM imaging revealed the size of CCPL (206 nm). The CCPL displayed a higher level of water solubility (25.13%) and in vitro permeability (42.14%) compared to pure catechin. A higher level of encapsulation efficiency (98.9%) and antibacterial activity (19.8 mm of ZOI and 31.25 μg/mL of MIC) were noted in CCPL compared to the catechin/cyclodextrin complex. CCPL recorded significant and dose-dependent healing of the incision, significant reduction of bacterial count, improved epithelization, and effective prevention of inflammation in skin samples of SSI-induced Balb/c mice. Data of the present work suggest that the CCPL could be considered as a novel and potential candidate to mitigate MRSA-mediated SSI after clinical trials.