Thursday, April 3, 2025 4/3/2025

Plasma-based therapies for bone infection: A tripartite USA/Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland consortium

Award Number: R01AR076941
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ARTHRITIS & MUSCULOSKELETAL & SKIN DISEASES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

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Plasma-based therapies for bone infection: A tripartite USA/Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland consortium - ABSTRACT Orthopaedic infection is life-threatening and current treatments are only sparingly successful. Despite aggressive peri-operative antibiotic treatments, 1.5% of knee revisions, 0.7 to 11.9%, of spinal infections (depending on the complexity of the procedure) and up to 27% of open fractures become infected. Moreover, the complexity of tissues interfacing with the biofilm-prone orthopaedic instrumentation complicates bacterial eradication making current treatments prolonged and expensive. To address this serious issue, we propose to combat the infection using cold plasma and cold plasma activated liquid (PAL). Our pilot data show that these novel modalities can be tailored for high microbicidal activity coupled with immune stimulatory properties without the risk of antibiotic resistance. Importantly, these modalities have not been used to combat bone infections. To utilize this technology to address orthopaedic infection, a tri-partite consortium of international research teams at the forefront of cold plasma technology from the US, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland have been assembled. This consortium unites expertise in plasma engineering, microbiology, material science, chemistry, cell biology, and clinical medicine. There are three Specific Aims. (1) To determine the effect of direct cold plasma treatment on MRSA biofilms and immune cell response; (2) To determine the mechanisms of action, and efficacy of Plasma Activated Liquid (PAL) alone and in combination with direct cold plasma treatment to eradicate infection; and (3) To resolve infection through combined cold plasma and PAL treatments in a clinically relevant animal model of infected osteotomy. We will develop cold plasma and PAL treatments that will directly disrupt biofilms and eradicate bacteria while stimulating the immune response. At the end of this study, we will have developed a simple and effective non-antibiotic treatment protocol to cure surgical site infection through combined immune activation and direct eradication of bacteria. Clinically, this cold plasma+PAL treatment protocol can be seamlessly integrated with existing clinical protocols to enhance and eventually replace our reliance on antibiotic therapies.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $592,145 )
2025	2025	THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY	1020 WALNUT ST STE 1	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19107	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research	000	5	12/11/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$592,145
														Subtotal = $592,145

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $646,298 )
2024	2024	THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY	1020 WALNUT ST	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19107	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research	000	4	12/9/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$599,659
2024	2024	THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY	1020 WALNUT ST	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19107	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research	001	4	6/18/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$46,639
														Subtotal = $646,298

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2023	2022	THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY	1020 WALNUT ST STE 1	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19107	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research	000	3	1/18/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $676,113 )
2022	2022	THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY	1020 WALNUT ST STE 1	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19107	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research	001	3	6/17/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$61,465
2022	2022	THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY	1020 WALNUT ST STE 1	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19107	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research	000	3	1/31/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$614,648
														Subtotal = $676,113

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $662,652 )
2021	2021	THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY	1020 WALNUT ST STE 1	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19107	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research	001	2	6/8/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$47,819
2021	2021	THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY	1020 WALNUT ST STE 1	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19107	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research	000	2	2/1/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$614,833
														Subtotal = $662,652

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $702,816 )
2020	2020	THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY	1020 WALNUT ST STE 1	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19107	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research	000	1	1/31/2020	NEW	$702,816
2020	2020	THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY	1020 WALNUT ST STE 1	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19107	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research	001	1	2/7/2020	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $702,816

Grand Total All Awards = $3,280,024

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Plasma-based therapies for bone infection: A tripartite USA/Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland consortium

Award Number: R01AR076941

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ARTHRITIS & MUSCULOSKELETAL & SKIN DISEASES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

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