The pandemic SARS-CoV-2 exacerbated the number of intubated patients, because of the worst form of the disease cause respiratory failure. Endotracheal tubes are placed to facilitate gas exchange and intubated patient has a major risk (5-40%) of developing Ventilator Associated Pneumonia, where half of this number happen to die. Functionalization in polymeric materials, associated to photodynamic therapy, is a strategy which has been applied with success to avoid and decontaminated biofilms in medical devices. This study developed a curcumin-functionalized ET by applying photodynamic therapy inactivate different bacterial biofilm species associated with PAV. Cytotoxicity assays hasn’t revealed any toxic effect in mammal cells and the respiratory system model support that the functionalized tube when irradiated can act such as a photodynamic barrier to avoid the infection spread and reach the lungs. In vivo studies were performed in pigs intubated and ventilated for 24h and the animals intubated with the functionalized tube and irradiated showed a significant reduction of biofilm development, without adverse effects in oral, tracheal and pulmonary mucosa.
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