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

> **NIH NIH R01** · THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $702,816

## Abstract

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.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9917347
- **Project number:** 1R01AR076941-01
- **Recipient organization:** THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Paula Bourke
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $702,816
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-02-01 → 2025-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9917347

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9917347, Plasma-based therapies for bone infection: A tripartite USA/Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland consortium (1R01AR076941-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9917347. Licensed CC0.

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