Organo-Selenium-Containing Polyester Bandage Inhibits Bacterial Biofilm Growth on the Bandage and in the Wound

The dressing material of a wound plays a key role since bacteria can live in the bandage and keep re-infecting the wound, thus a bandage is needed that blocks biofilm in the bandage. Using an in vivo wound biofilm model, we examined the effectiveness of an organo-selenium (OS)-coated polyester dressing to inhibit the growth of bacteria in a wound. <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (as well as MRSA, Methicillin resistant <i>Staph aureus</i>), <i>Stenotrophomonas maltophilia</i>, <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i>, <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i>, and <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> were chosen for the wound infection study. All the bacteria were enumerated in the wound dressing and in the wound tissue under the dressing. Using colony-forming unit (CFU) assays, over 7 logs of inhibition (100%) was found for all the bacterial strains on the material of the OS-coated wound dressing and in the tissue under that dressing. Confocal laser scanning microscopy along with IVIS spectrum in vivo imaging confirmed the CFU results. Thus, the dressing acts as a reservoir for a biofilm, which causes wound infection. The same results were obtained after soaking the dressing in PBS at 37 &#176;C for three months before use. These results suggest that an OS coating on polyester dressing is both effective and durable in blocking wound infection.