Biomedical engineers at Brown University announced on Mar. 19 the development of a new wound dressing material that releases antibiotics only when harmful bacteria are present in a wound. The study, published in Science Advances, shows that this approach could help clear infections quickly and speed up healing while reducing unnecessary antibiotic use—a key factor in the rise of antibiotic resistance.
The innovation is a hydrogel loaded with antibiotics that responds to an enzyme produced by many types of harmful bacteria. When this enzyme is detected, the hydrogel breaks down and releases its antibiotic cargo. If no harmful bacteria are present, the hydrogel remains intact, keeping the antibiotics locked away.
"Antimicrobial resistance is a major problem worldwide, so we need better approaches for how we use antibiotics," said Anita Shukla, a professor in Brown's School of Engineering who led the project. "We've developed a material that releases antibiotics only when harmful bacteria are present, so it limits exposure to antibiotics when they're not needed but still provides these important medications when they are needed."
Laboratory tests showed that the hydrogel degrades only in the presence of beta-lactamase-producing bacteria—common culprits in wound infections—while remaining stable around harmless bacteria. This selectivity helps reduce unnecessary exposure to antibiotics and lowers the risk of developing resistance. "This really is a very stable formulation that doesn't allow the drug to leach out," Shukla said. "It's truly trapped in there until there is a significant amount of beta-lactamase production that can cause hydrogel degradation."
In experiments with mice, one application of the hydrogel fully eradicated bacterial infection from abrasion wounds and performed better than commonly used antimicrobial dressings both in eliminating bacteria and promoting healing.
The researchers concluded: "Our findings suggest that these bacterial enzyme-responsive smart hydrogels have the potential to provide targeted, on-demand infection eradication while minimizing unnecessary exposure to antibiotics." The team has patented their material and plans further development toward commercialization.
