Grant: Collaborative Health Research Projects

This research project addresses a serious challenge in orthopaedic surgery: the prosthetic joint infections. Artificial joints have been extensively used to treat joint diseases such as osteoarthritis, with ~50,000 total hip and knee replacement procedures in Canada and over half a million in US annually. The overall infection rate could reach up to 2% for primary joint replacements, and up to 6% for knee revision procedures. Infection also accounts for at least 14% of the total implant failure. Patients having prosthetic joint infections would suffer from progressive joint pain and have significantly high levels of morbidity and mortality. Infection prevention through antibiotic prophylaxis is one approach but the necessary long term exposure can lead to antibiotic resistance. Seeking novel anti-infection solutions for implants has become one of the top priorities for orthopaedic surgery teams including the one at UBC. The objective of this collaborative research project is to develop a new generation of joint implants with unique antimicrobial surfaces without employing classical antibiotics. The project is based on the latest breakthroughs at the Centre for Microbial Diseases and Immunity Research on screening and optimizing short broad spectrum cationic antimicrobial peptides. These peptides, once immobilized on implant surface, will protect these surfaces from colonization by microbes without incurring the severe problems of resistance encountered with the common antibiotics. The primary objective will be achieved through three key steps: (a) designing, screening and processing antimicrobial peptides; (b) immobilizing antimicrobial peptides onto implant surfaces by combining chemical principles with engineering techniques; (c) verifying antimicrobial effects and biocompatibility with in vitro cell culture and in vivo animal models. The project will establish a strong collaboration among engineering, science and medicine and provide unique HQP training opportunities. The novel anti-infection surfaces developed will lead to a new solution not only to the infection in orthopaedics, but also to infection issues in other medical devices.