Enzyme Technology Sanitizes Surgical Surfaces

Proteases are now available that substantially eliminate prions, the causative agents of mad cow disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), from surgical surfaces.

Prionzym, manufactured by Genencor International (Palo Alto, CA, USA), can be used to disinfect medical instruments utilized in invasive surgeries, such as procedures related to the central nervous system, eyes, and tonsils, where prions have been shown to accumulate in the body. Genencor plans to further develop its Prionzyme line of products targeted for disinfecting general instruments and for sanitizing equipment for the meat-processing industry. Prionzym was developed jointly with the United Kingdom's Health Protection Agency (HPA). The product has received the CE mark.

Prionzyme use for medical instruments combines the proprietary enzyme with specific temperature and pH conditions. The product is added as the first step in a presoak process with stainless steel instruments. Benefits of using enzymes include minimizing worker safety issues by reducing exposure to harsh chemicals and lessening the environmental impact, since enzymes biodegrade in disinfectant solution.

"Using the tools of biotechnology to address important issues facing the world today, Genencor is very pleased to commercialize the first enzyme technology to target this unconventional, infectious agent,” said Thomas Pekich, president of Genencor. "Our partnership with the HPA combined with the protease technology expertise we've built over the past two decades has been key to addressing this difficult problem.”

Prions, the causative agents of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and its human form, vCJD, have been a concern in countries like the United Kingdom in recent years due to a lack of technology to reduce the risk from the protein-based particles on medical instruments.



Related Links:
Genencor International