Antibiotic-Loaded Ready-to-Use Latex Beads for Localized Treatment of Bone Infections.ACS Appl Bio Mater 2026 May 18; 9(10):4617-4630.AA
Osteomyelitis remains a persistent healthcare concern due to bacterial invasion and difficulty in inhibiting and eradicating biofilm-forming bacteria from infected bone tissue. Conventional therapies, including systemic antibiotics and surgically implanted beads made of calcium sulfate or polymethyl methacrylate, are hindered by complications like cytotoxicity, uneven drug distribution, and thermal denaturation of antibiotics during polymerization. Here, a solvent-free droplet approach is introduced for producing ready-to-use antibiotic-loaded beads through controlled aggregation of pre-formed polymer latex nanoparticles composed of poly (methyl methacrylate-co-butyl acrylate) [P(MMA-BA)]. Calcium chloride, a benign coagulant, triggers the controlled aggregation of latex nanoparticles and enables bead formation without the need for hand-mixing, chemical initiators, and solvents used in the existing PMMA bead fabrication method. Ampicillin was incorporated as a model antibiotic to evaluate antimicrobial and biocompatibility performance. The resulting beads demonstrated prolonged antibacterial activity and strong inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus biofilms. In co-culture systems with osteoblast Saos-2 cells, the beads selectively inhibited bacterial growth while maintaining cell viability, confirming their dual antibacterial and cytocompatibility functions. In vivo evaluations further supported their effectiveness in infection control and tissue integration. Overall, these results highlight the potential of latex particle-assembled polymeric beads as a scalable, solvent-free, and efficient platform for targeted bone infection treatment.
