Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)—the ability of bacteria to develop resistance to antibiotics, the cornerstone of modern medicine over the past century—represents an escalating global threat. Multiple factors contribute to this crisis, but the outcome remains the same: bacteria gain resistance, rendering antibiotic treatments increasingly ineffective or even obsolete. A 2019 study reported that bacterial AMR directly caused 141,000 deaths in high-income countries. Two primary forces drive the spread of AMR: the first is the rapid evolution of pathogens, often accelerated by human behavior, which weakens the efficacy of existing treatments. The second is the lack of new pharmacological innovations to counteract these emerging threats. As a result, the current innovation ecosystem is failing to stay ahead of this growing danger.
Our project aims to make a significant impact by introducing a new model designed to test and validate technologies that can reduce the reliance on antibiotics for eradicating bacteria on infected implants. Preliminary results show that this model effectively simulates implant-associated infections, allowing for the assessment of alternative antimicrobial strategies. Importantly, our approach also significantly reduces the need for laboratory animals, making it a more ethical and sustainable option for future research in combating AMR. Studies show that the protein layer on biomaterials significantly impacts bacterial growth, and removing this protein layer is crucial to prevent new infections.
The increasing use of biomaterials and medical devices has led to the emergence of new families of diseases related precisely to the use of these new technologies. Titanium dental implants are made with rough surfaces that facilitate good bone integration, but this approach also promotes bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation, and thus, infections. Preventive measures involve surface modifications of titanium implants, regenerative materials to counteract infection-induced bone loss, and debridement of implant surfaces. It is an intricate balance to find the right combination between the implant material, cleaning methods, and regeneration of bone loss. There is a high rate of colonisation of these surfaces due to the induction of biofilm-growing microorganisms, which are progressively resistant to antimicrobial therapies. The accumulation of microbes and biofilm formation, both in teeth and dental implants, triggers an inflammatory process characterized by the destruction of tooth/implant supporting bone. Unless biofilms are appropriately controlled, they accelerate their physiological heterogeneity and a series of complex interactions follows that results in chronic inflammation and loss of adjacent tissues. The condition thus often develops into a vicious circle with a great toll on the general health of the patients. The only way to break the cycle is through rigid biofilm control.
MISFAITH aims to develop a dynamic multispecies biofilm model that can be used to model and test 3 novel methods for tackling the challenges associated with biomaterial-induced infections. Success in MISFAITH will have an enormous impact on the dental biomaterials field since as it would shift current treatment procedures to regenerative outcomes, resulting in better treatments and higher patient satisfaction, and less use of antibiotics. Therefore, if successful, the project outcomes will have an enormous social impact and potential for patient welfare.