Development and Characterization of Lactobacillus rhamnosus -Containing Bioprints for Application to Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI)are a significanthealthcare burden affecting millions of patients annually. CAUTI arecharacterized by infection of the bladder and pathogen colonizationof the catheter surface, making them especially difficult to treat.Various catheter modifications have been employed to reduce pathogencolonization, including infusion of antibiotics and antimicrobialcompounds, altering the surface architecture of the catheter, or coatingit with nonpathogenic bacteria. Lactobacilli probiotics offer promisefor a bacterial interference approach because theynot only compete for adhesion to the catheter surface but also produceand secrete antimicrobial compounds effective against uropathogens.Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting has enabled fabrication of well-defined,cell-laden architectures with tailored release of active agents, therebyoffering a novel means for sustained probiotic delivery. Siliconehas shown to be a promising biomaterial for catheter applicationsdue to mechanical strength, biocompatibility, and its ability to mitigateencrustation on the catheter. Additionally, silicone, as a bioink,provides an optimum matrix for bioprinting lactobacilli. This studyformulates and characterizes novel 3D-bioprinted Lactobacillusrhamnosus (L. rhamnosus)-containing silicone scaffoldsfor future urinary tract catheterization applications. Weight-to-weight(w/w) ratio of silicone/L. rhamnosus was bioprinted and cured with relative catheter dimensions in diameter.Scaffolds were analyzed in vitro for mechanical integrity,recovery of L. rhamnosus, antimicrobialproduction, and antibacterial effect against uropathogenic Escherichia coli, the leading cause of CAUTI. Theresults show that L. rhamnosus-containingscaffolds are capable of sustained recovery of live bacteria over14 days, with sustained production of lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide.Through the use of 3D bioprinting, this study presents a potentialalternative strategy to incorporate probiotics into urinary catheters,with the ultimate goal of preventing and treating CAUTI.

Automated summary

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) are a significant healthcare burden. This study demonstrates the potential use of 3D bioprinting to create silicone catheters containing probiotic lactobacilli, which can release active compounds and potentially prevent or treat CAUTI.