Abstract
Inactivation of Bacterial Biofilms in Porcine Wound Models Using Cold Plasma
Chronic wounds – wounds that become arrested in the inflammatory stage of healing – afflict 6.5 million people in the United States alone. These wounds remain open for weeks to months on end, and by their very nature, facilitate bacterial biofilm formation in the wound site. This further exacerbates the inflammation and prolongs the duration of the wound. Current methods of treatment are not always effective and are uncomfortable for patients, as they involve scrubbing out the wound site with antiseptic and cutting away necrotic tissue. Here we demonstrate a method of biofilm inactivation via cold atmospheric pressure plasma discharge in porcine wound models infected with Staphylococcus aureus, a common wound pathogen, while not having a deleterious effect on the mammalian cells. This could provide a less painful, less expensive, and more effective treatment for chronic wounds.