Mainz. On 1st February 2012, the world-wide acting network KOALA has started its research work from Mainz. The EU-promoted project will coordinate the research in both wound healing and infection threats, which is currently scattered all over the world. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (MPI-P) in Mainz hold a leading position within the newly developed network. The main objectives are to exchange scientific progress within this research area, to compare results and to obtain the same level of knowledge. Renate Förch, project leader at the MPI-P and initiator of KOALA, explains: "Having already established a research network throughout Europe and linked our resources with each other, we now have to unite research on an international scale and jointly face the challenge." In the next two years, the EU is promoting the project with funds amounting to 77,000 Euros.

Challenge for Hospital Germs

The dangers of infection that occur during the process of wound healing are a much under-estimated problem which causes difficulties for treating doctors, hospital managers and health politicians. According to studies conducted by professional associations in Germany, infected injuries and operation wounds lead to significantly more deaths than road accidents do. Medical staff try to combat hospital germs, which can hardly be controlled due to growing antibiotic-resistant characteristics, by using certain dressing materials. In future, these dressings will become multi-functional materials; Intelligent mechanisms will help them to support the healing process: they will almost prevent the development of germs, indicate infected areas on time and fight against germs with antibacterial substances. Developing such materials is more complex than it may seem at first sight, as there are certain endogenous bacteria that are essential for the healing process and, consequently, they must not be eliminated. Another aspect is the duration of the usability: Every time the dressing is removed and re-applied this contributes to cicatrisation and thus hinders the recovering progress – this especially applies to patients with burns. These are exactly the medical aspects Renate Förch’s project BacterioSafe deals with. Since July 2010, first material samples with the necessary characteristics have been successfully developed within the project. The group at the MPI-P cooperates with research groups at the University of Bath (UK) and the University of Siegen, biologists and medics at the University Medicine Mainz and Bristol (UK) as well as with the Dublin City University (Ireland). Engineer technical institutes in Belgium and Finland deal with the technical challenges connected to producing industrial applications in future. Therefore, industrial partners also supply the researchers with several basic materials. Certain natural mechanisms distinguish between essential bacteria and infectious germs. The wound material indicates an infection by releasing colouring agents and, at the same time, it releases antibiotics and antiseptics. The polymeric shells of the particles including active agents are attracting hazardous bacteria. For these bacteria the particles seem to be a nutrient source and thus the bacteria’s metabolism gets going – this leads to the fact that the active agent is released. The research group of Katharina Landfester (director at the MPI-P) develops tailored particles and vesicles with different characteristics; amongst others they are aimed at controlled transport of medical active agents. The appropriate application of such particles and the “distinction” between good and bad germs is supposed to reduce the development of resistance. Renate Förch’s group works on combining those particles or vesicles with the dressing materials.
The KOALA network is the next step aiming at optimizing single characteristics of dressing materials. The major non-EU partner within the exchange programme is a research group at the University South Australia in Adelaide. This group has achieved considerable results in surface analytics and in developing surface coatings for dressing materials. The Australian scientists test dressing materials which produce an endogenous substrate with the patient’s skin cells and thus naturally fasten the process of closing the wound.
Renate Förch hopes to achieve most promising results in view of this mutual knowledge transfer: "Treating burns and other large wounds is an urgent problem. There is often only a choice between scars and infections and recognizing infections may save lives. This is why intelligent dressing materials are urgently required. We can easily fasten the scientific progress by establishing networks, such as KOALA."

Fundamental Experience with Implants

Renate Förch has established the basics with her previous research project EMBEK1. The same aspects that apply for wound healing have to be considered when talking about implants: Healing process and physical compatibility. A comprehensive understanding of the whole process on molecular scale is required to model natural material and processes. The scientists have identified the biological mechanisms that play a significant role with regard to germs adhesion on surfaces and they have found measures to interrupt them. This basic knowledge is fundamental for research on intelligent dressings. The knowledge, which is combined throughout the network KOALA, aims at creating prototypes for clinical studies, which will be developed out of the so far produced wound materials.

BacterioSafe in Detail