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Abstract
Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are a pressing issue in modern healthcare and the rise of antibiotic resistance has made the problem more urgent. Furthermore, lack of material biocompatibility in vivo can cause issues such as thrombosis and bacterial biofilm formation. Studies have shown that nitric oxide (NO), a free-radical gas, can be antimicrobial and antithrombotic simultaneously. For these reasons, researchers have been studying the benefits of including NO-releasing molecules in widely used polymers. The nitric oxide released from a compound group called S-nitrosothiols has been previously shown to prevent bacterial adhesion while being cytocompatible. This thesis aims to look at the inclusion of S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) in two versions of a common polymer, Bionate® I and Bionate® II. After incorporating GSNO, both matrices sustained physiologically relevant levels of NO for 48 hours, accompanied by bactericidal activity. This project holds promise in aiding implant-associated infections that occur with implantable biomedical devices.