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Antibiotic resistance is recognized by the WHO as one of the greatest threats to global health. A particular challenge is infections associated with implanted medical devices such as hip and knee prostheses. In Sweden, more than 30,000 such operations are performed each year.

While highly successful from a medical perspective, these implants can be complicated by infections that are extremely difficult to treat. This is largely because the bacteria form biofilms – protective layers that shield them from both the immune system and antibiotics. As a result, patients may suffer from long-term pain, disability, and repeated surgeries, leading to reduced quality of life and significant healthcare costs. Multidrug-resistant staphylococci are a common cause of these infections.

Research areas:

• Transmission pathways in the hospital environment, in collaboration with the Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen. (Cooperation with Anders Johansson lab)
  
  
• Translational studies of biofilms, analyzing bacterial gene expression in prosthetic joint infections to identify new therapeutic targets. (Cooperation with Kemal Avican lab och Johan Normark lab).
  
  
• Development and evaluation of diagnostic methods for prosthetic joint infections.
  
  
• One Health perspectives, including a recently published project with the Swedish National Veterinary Institute (SVA) investigating resistance and virulence in coagulase-negative staphylococci from bovine mastitis, with attention to zoonotic aspects.

Financing:

The research is financed by Centrala ALF, Visare Norr, Formas, and Kempestiftelserna.