Recently, rapid acquisition of antibiotic resistance, increased prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, and slow healing of infected wound have led to vast difficulties in developing innovative antimicrobial agents to obliterate pathogenic bacteria and simultaneously accelerate wound healing. To effectively solve this problem, we designed light-responsive multifunctional nanoparticles with conjugation of quaternary ammonium chitosan and photosensitizer chlorin e6 (Ce6) to merge chemical and photodynamic therapy to efficient antibacteria. The Mg/(−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) complex rapidly responded to light irradiation under 660 nm with release of magnesium ions, which effectively accelerated wound healing without toxicity to mammalian cells. Notably, positively charged nanoparticles could efficiently adhere to the bacterial surface, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced under laser irradiation destroyed the membrane structure of the bacteria, which is irreversible, ultimately leading to bacteria death. Thus, multifunctional nanoparticles with a combination of chemical and photodynamic antimicrobial therapy would offer guidance to rational predicted and designed new effective antimicrobial nanomaterials. Most importantly, it may represent a promising class of antimicrobial strategy for potential clinical translation.
Most chronic wounds suffer from infections,
and their treatment is challenging. The usage of antibiotics may lead
to bacterial resistance and adverse side effects. Positively charged
substances have shown promise, but their applications are usually
limited by certain cytotoxicity or complex synthesis. Doped polyaniline
that carries a high density of positive charges would be a promising
candidate due to its good biocompatibility and easy availability,
but its interaction with bacteria has not been elucidated. Herein,
the distinct bactericidal effect of polyaniline against Gram-positive
bacteria has been verified. The antibacterial activity may result
from the specific interaction with lipoteichoic acid to destroy the
Gram-positive bacterial cell wall. Polyaniline and a macromolecular
dopant (sulfonated hyaluronic acid) are used to construct a flexible
hydrogel with skin-mimic electrical conductivity. The in vivo results
demonstrate that electrical stimulation (ES) through this hydrogel
is superior to ES via separated electrodes (the ES strategy used clinically)
for promoting infected chronic wound healing.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.