Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • In Brief
  • Published:

CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY

Implants to defeat bacterial infection

Nature Reviews Microbiology volume 20, page 64 (2022)Cite this article

Subjects

Bacterial infections of medical implants are common, difficult to treat and can have serious consequences, including removal of the implant. One strategy to combat implant infections is modifying the implant surface to deter or kill bacteria; however, this antibacterial activity has to be balanced against the need for the surface to promote integration into host tissue. Fu, Zhu, Liu et al. present a metallic implant that they coated with hydroxyapatite and MoS2. When bacteria contact this coating, electrons are transferred from the coating to the bacteria. This process leads to a switch of aerobic respiration to anaerobic respiration and production of reactive oxygen species. The authors show that the coating has antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Finally, the coating also promoted differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into osteoblasts, which should promote bone integration.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

Original article

Related articles

  • Linklater, D. P. et al. Mechano-bactericidal actions of nanostructured surfaces. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 19, 8–22 (2021)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Makabenta, J. M. V. et al. Nanomaterial-based therapeutics for antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 19, 23–36 (2021)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nature Reviews Microbiology http://www.nature.com/nrmicro/

    Ursula Hofer

Authors
  1. Ursula Hofer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ursula Hofer.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Hofer, U. Implants to defeat bacterial infection. Nat Rev Microbiol 20, 64 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-021-00675-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-021-00675-9

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing Microbiology

Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Microbiology newsletter — what matters in microbiology research, free to your inbox weekly.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing: Microbiology