Nitric oxide-generating metallic wires for enhanced metal implants

Abstract

Metallic implants are integral in modern medicine, offering excellent biocompatibility and mechanical properties. However, implant-related infections pose a major challenge. Current drug delivery methods, such as surface-coated and drug-eluting implants, are limited by finite drug supplies and complex manufacturing steps. Recent approaches like local drug synthesis, including enzyme-prodrug therapies, present innovative solutions but are hampered by the inherent limitations of enzymes as well as complex procedures. Here, we introduce a simpler alternative: using the intrinsic properties of implant materials to activate prodrugs. Through a simple thermal treatment, metallic implants gain catalytic properties to locally generate nitric oxide, an antibacterial agent. Our findings show this treatment is non-toxic to cells, does not affect cell proliferation rates, and effectively inhibits bacterial biofilm formation. This material-driven approach eliminates the need for external chemical or enzymatic interventions, offering a promising solution to prevent implant-related infections and improve patient outcomes in implant medicine. There are multiple strategies to tackle metallic implant-related infections, but they are complex. Here, a simple thermal treatment process endows metallic implant materials with catalytic properties to locally generate nitric oxide as an effective antibacterial agent.