Skin Disinfection by Plasma-Tissue Interaction: Comparison of the Effectivity of Tissue-Tolerable Plasma and a Standard Antiseptic

Wound healing disorders frequently occur due to biofilm formation on wound surfaces requiring conscientious wound hygiene. Often, the application of conventional liquid antiseptics is not sufficient and sustainable as (1) the borders and the surrounding of chronic wounds frequently consist of sclerotic skin, impeding an effectual penetration of these products, and (2) the hair follicles representing the reservoir for bacterial recolonization of skin surfaces are not affected. Recently, it has been reported that tissue-tolerable plasma (TTP), which is used at a temperature range between 35 and 45°C, likewise has disinfecting properties. In the present study, the effectivity of TTP and a standard liquid antiseptic was compared in vitro on porcine skin. The results revealed that TTP was able to reduce the bacterial load by 94%, although the application of the liquid antiseptic remained superior as it reduced the bacteria by almost 99%. For in vivo application, however, TTP offers several advantages. On the one hand, TTP enables the treatment of sclerotic skin as well, and on the other hand, a sustainable disinfection can be realized as, obviously, also the follicular reservoir is affected by TTP

Decolonisation of MRSA, S. aureus and E. coli by Cold-Atmospheric Plasma Using a Porcine Skin Model In Vitro

In the last twenty years new antibacterial agents approved by the U.S. FDA decreased whereas in parallel the resistance situation of multi-resistant bacteria increased. Thus, community and nosocomial acquired infections of resistant bacteria led to a decrease in the efficacy of standard therapy, prolonging treatment time and increasing healthcare costs. Therefore, the aim of this work was to demonstrate the applicability of cold atmospheric plasma for decolonisation of Gram-positive (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli) using an ex vivo pig skin model. Freshly excised skin samples were taken from six month old female pigs (breed: Pietrain). After application of pure bacteria on the surface of the explants these were treated with cold atmospheric plasma for up to 15 min. Two different plasma devices were evaluated. A decolonisation efficacy of 3 log10 steps was achieved already after 6 min of plasma treatment. Longer plasma treatment times achieved a killing rate of 5 log10 steps independently from the applied bacteria strains. Histological evaluations of untreated and treated skin areas upon cold atmospheric plasma treatment within 24 h showed no morphological changes as well as no significant degree of necrosis or apoptosis determined by the TUNEL-assay indicating that the porcine skin is still vital. This study demonstrates for the first time that cold atmospheric plasma is able to very efficiently kill bacteria applied to an intact skin surface using an ex vivo porcine skin model. The results emphasize the potential of cold atmospheric plasma as a new possible treatment option for decolonisation of human skin from bacteria in patients in the future without harming the surrounding tissue

Biology of human hair: Know your hair to control it

Hair can be engineered at different levels—its structure and surface—through modification of its constituent molecules, in particular proteins, but also the hair follicle (HF) can be genetically altered, in particular with the advent of siRNA-based applications. General aspects of hair biology are reviewed, as well as the most recent contributions to understanding hair pigmentation and the regulation of hair development. Focus will also be placed on the techniques developed specifically for delivering compounds of varying chemical nature to the HF, indicating methods for genetic/biochemical modulation of HF components for the treatment of hair diseases. Finally, hair fiber structure and chemical characteristics will be discussed as targets for keratin surface functionalization

In Vivo Methods for the Assessment of Topical Drug Bioavailability

This paper reviews some current methods for the in vivo assessment of local cutaneous bioavailability in humans after topical drug application. After an introduction discussing the importance of local drug bioavailability assessment and the limitations of model-based predictions, the focus turns to the relevance of experimental studies. The available techniques are then reviewed in detail, with particular emphasis on the tape stripping and microdialysis methodologies. Other less developed techniques, including the skin biopsy, suction blister, follicle removal and confocal Raman spectroscopy techniques are also described

Prävention postoperativer Wundinfektionen durch Abkleben des OP-Felds mit Iod-imprägnierter Inzisionsfolie (Ioban® 2)

The literature is used to analyse the significance of the use of iodine-impregnated incision drape (Ioban® 2) for the prevention of postoperative wound infections (SSI). The drape has a microbiocidal effect in vitro. Consequently an antiseptic effect also occurs under the incision drape when it is applied to the skin; at the same time, bacterial wound contamination is reduced. Overall, based on the efficacy strength of the antiseptic incision drape, a reduction of the SSI rate can, however, be confirmed only with a large sample size. A meta analysis which evaluated four prospective studies and one retrospective study was able to provide significant confirmation of a reduction in the SSI rate. There are no limitations in terms of the biocompatibility of the iodine-impregnated incision drape.Anhand des Schrifttums wird die Bedeutung des Einsatzes von Iod-imprägnierter Inzisionsfolie (Ioban® 2) für die Prävention postoperativen Wundinfektionen (SSI) analysiert. Die Folie zeigt in in vitro eine mikrobiozide Wirksamkeit. Demzufolge kommt es auch bei Anwendung auf der Haut zu einer antiseptischen Wirkung unter der Inzisionsfolie, zugleich wird die bakterielle Wundkontamination verringert. Insgesamt ist auf Grund der Effektstärke der antiseptischen Inzisionsfolie eine Reduzierung der SSI-Rate allerdings nur bei großem Stichprobenumfang zu sichern. In einer Meta-Analyse mit Auswertung von vier prospektiven und einer retrospektiven Studie konnte die Herabsetzung der SSI-Rate signifikant gesichert werden. Bezüglich der Biokompatibilität der Iod-imprägnierten Inzisionsfolie gibt es keine Einschränkungen