Background/Objectives: Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are one of the most common healthcare-related morbidities. Also, severe clinical outcomes derived from CAUTIs demand an urgent need for the development of novel antimicrobial catheter materials. Since CAUTIs are primarily driven by a wide range of microorganisms causing biofilm formation on the surfaces of catheters, evaluating the effectiveness of innovative antimicrobial materials against a broad spectrum of known uropathogens is warranted. We aim (1) to demonstrate the ability of incorporated organo-selenium versus that of an FDA-cleared antimicrobial catheter and (2) to show that the results of the study are consistent against the most common microorganisms causing urinary tract infections in humans. Methods: Based on encouraging preliminary studies, three percent of organo-selenium (weight-based), as a novel antimicrobial catheter material, was incorporated into thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). This was compared in vitro with plain polyurethane catheters and the SILQ ClearTract catheter with a zwitterionic coating (FDA-cleared for its antimicrobial properties in December 2022). The antimicrobial activity was studied against Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, and Staphylococcus epidermidis by assessment of colony-forming unit counts along with visual confirmation using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Results: Plain polyurethane catheters (control group) showed 7- to 8-log of in vitro growth for all tested microbes, whereas the antimicrobial zwitterionic SILQ ClearTract catheters still showed 6- to 7-log of microbial growth. In contrast, organo-selenium-incorporated catheters demonstrated no detectable in vitro growth for all tested microbes (C. albicans, E. coli, K. pneumoniae, P. mirabilis, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, MRSA, and S. epidermidis). SEM analysis also validated the findings. Conclusions: Potentially non-leaching organo-selenium, as a novel urinary catheter material, significantly inhibited microbial attachment, growth, and biofilm formation across a wide spectrum of common uropathogenic organisms compared to a zwitterionic catheter, providing a strong foundation for further detailed in vivo and clinical studies.

Based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization statistics, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally, especially in developed countries. Atherosclerosis, associated with inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, is one of the major causes of cardiovascular disease, and several studies have tried to identify risk factors for atherosclerosis. Lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] has become increasingly appreciated in the past decades as a strong independent risk factor. Although there are several clinical trials on lipid-lowering drugs to reduce the risk of CVD, most drugs not only fail to drop Lp(a) levels significantly but also do not specifically target Lp(a). While PCSK9 inhibitors are currently regarded as the best therapeutic drug for elevated Lp(a), recently, the development of novel drugs targeting the RNA of the Lp(a) gene (LPA), small interfering RNAs and antisense oligonucleotides, has progressed rapidly, and they have been assessed for their clinical efficacy. The objective of this case study/focused review is to review what Lp(a) is, why it has clinical significance in developing CVD, and more importantly how its level is controlled. Keywords: Lipoprotein (a), cardiovascular diseases, atherosclerosis, PCSK9 inhibitors, antisense oligonucleotides, small interfering RNA.