Silver cloth that kills MRSA being tested

A new silver fabric that destroys MRSA, is being tested in a London hospital.

The See-it-Safe cloth, made by Toray Textiles in Mansfield, UK, has already been proven to eliminate 99.99% of more than 800 micro-organisms, including MRSA and VRSA, within less than an hour of direct exposure to the fabric. New clinical trials will establish its impact on patient health in a hospital setting.

Dr Peter Wilson, a consultant microbiologist, will be supervising trials at Newham University Hospital, East London, with 300 patients, to ascertain if wearing pyjamas made of the material cures MRSA. MRSA kills up to 800 people a year in the UK and is resistant to most antibiotics.

The trials are expected to begin within the next 6-8 weeks and will be completed in 2007, with interim results expected by the end of summer 2006.

“Silver is known to be a very efficient agent against infection and in aiding recovery. It is already used in wound dressings and the cement used for hip replacements. It is also a very safe material,” says Dr Wilson. “‘We will be monitoring patients who have contracted MRSA over a period of 12 months. To permit a direct and meaningful comparison, some patients will be provided with pyjamas made by Toray Textiles and others will wear conventional hospital clothing.”

The See it Safe cloth is interwoven with threads of silver that are activated by moisture and heat from the body to kill bacteria. “We know that direct contact with our See-it-Safe fabric kills the vast majority of bacteria, including those responsible for MRSA. We also believe it has a positive effect in minimising other skin conditions such as eczema,” says Keith Mitchell, managing director of Toray Textiles. “We will not know the full extent of the pyjamas' impact on the prevention and cure of MRSA until clinical trials are completed in 2007, but we are very optimistic.”

Because pyjamas do not cover every part of the body, products such as alcohol will still be needed for uncovered areas like hands.

Given the laboratory findings to date, Toray is expecting significant demand for its materials from retail-ers and clothing manufacturers around the world. “We see a strong, immediate market for pyjamas,” says Mitchell, “And when the clinical trials come through with the expected result we will see a huge increase in demand for our bacteria-resistant material extending into nurses’ uniforms, surgical gowns and hospital curtains and bedding.

“We have evidence that if somebody with a colonisation of MRSA on their skin wears our pyjamas, they will become colony-free,” he adds. “Once activated, the silver interferes with the development of the cell. The electron release of the silver works on an intra-cellular level, disrupting the DNA and RNA of any micro-organism that ‘lands’ on the fabric.”

Toray Textiles is in discussions with a number of retailers and expects that pyjamas and other clothing made with the fabric will be in stores around the world by the end of this year.