Advanced Skin Antisepsis: Application of UVA-Cleavable Hydroxyethyl Starch Nanocapsules for Improved Eradication of Hair Follicle-Associated Microorganisms

February 2023 in “ Pharmaceutics ”

Loris Busch, Anna Maria Hanuschik, Yuri Avlasevich, Katrin Darm, Elisa F. Hochheiser, Christian Köhler, Evgeny A. Idelevich, Karsten Becker, Peter Rotsch, Katharina Landfester, Maxim E. Darvin, Martina C. Meinke, Cornelia M. Keck, Axel Krämer, Paula Zwicker

UVA-cleavable hydroxyethyl starch nanocapsules HES-NCs UVA irradiation hair follicle-associated microorganisms microbial load ex vivo porcine skin UVA-LED lamp ethanol preoperative skin antisepsis surgical site infections endogenous pathogens UVA-cleavable HES nanocapsules UVA light microorganisms in hair follicles bacteria skin disinfection surgery infection prevention

TLDR New UVA-responsive nanocapsules effectively kill microorganisms in hair follicles when activated by light.

The study investigates the use of UVA-cleavable hydroxyethyl starch nanocapsules (HES-NCs) for improved skin antisepsis, particularly targeting hair follicle-associated microorganisms. These nanocapsules, sized between 400 and 600 nm, release their contents upon UVA irradiation, effectively reducing microbial load in ex vivo porcine skin. The research demonstrated significant microbial reduction when HES-NCs were used in combination with a novel UVA-LED lamp, compared to ethanol alone. The findings suggest that HES-NCs could enhance preoperative skin antisepsis by reaching deeper parts of hair follicles, potentially reducing surgical site infections caused by endogenous pathogens. Further in vivo studies are needed to confirm these results.

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