Prevention of CSF Shunt Infection

Shunt infection is one of the major causes of shunt failure in children suffering from hydrocephalus. Occurring at a rate of 3-20%, shunt infection in children is associated with a higher risk of seizures, lower IQ and a higher mortality (10-15%) than in those without shunt infection. Seventy percent of all shunt infection occur within 2 months of post-operative period and are caused by skin-derived bacteria. Immediate coating of catheter's interior by a glycoprotein biofilm derived from serum and extracellular matrix promotes irreversible bacterial adhesion and colonization. The guiding hypothesis of our research is to investigate whether coating of the interior of CSF shunts with confluent living cells establishes a natural barrier to bacterial adhesion and therefore reduces bacterial colonization and infections.

Cell culture techniques are used to grow living cells such as endothelial cells, (found in blood vessels) to confluence on the interior surface of a CSF shunt catheter. The bacterial colonization will then be compared following inoculation of shunt interior with skin flora in cell-coated and un-coated control shunt catheters. Laser Scanning Microscopy is used to visualize the colonization status of the interior surface of shunt catheters.

The clinical implication of this will be to use a patient's own cells to cover the interior surface of CSF shunts and therefore to establish a natural living barrier to bacterial colonization and infection.