Flexible nanoplatform facilitates antibacterial phototherapy by simultaneously enhancing photosensitizer permeation and relieving hypoxia in bacterial biofilms.

Antimicrobial phototherapy has gained recognition as a promising approach for addressing bacterial biofilms, however, its effectiveness is often impeded by the robust physical and chemical defenses of the biofilms. Traditional antibacterial nanoplatforms face challenges in breaching the extracellular polymeric substances barrier to efficiently deliver photosensitizers deep into biofilms. Moreover, the prevalent hypoxia within biofilms restricts the success of oxygen-reliant phototherapy.

Ultrasound-responsive gallium protoporphyrin and oxygen loaded perfluoropentane nanodroplets for effective sonodynamic therapy of implant infections.

Implant infections are severe complications in clinical treatment, which often accompany the formation of bacterial biofilms with high antibiotic resistance. Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is an antibiotic-free method that can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) to kill bacteria under ultrasound (US) treatment. However, the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) barrier of bacterial biofilms and the hypoxic microenvironment significantly limit the antibiofilm activity of SDT.

Metabolic Modulation-Mediated Antibiotic and Immune Activation for Treatment of Chronic Lung Infections.

The biofilm in recalcitrant chronic lung infections not only develops high antimicrobial tolerance but also induces an aberrant host inflammatory response. The metabolic condition plays a vital role in both the antimicrobial susceptibility of bacteria and the inflammatory response of immune cells, thereby offering a potential therapeutic target. Herein, we described a metabolic modulation strategy by using ultrasound-responsive liposomal nanoparticles containing a sonosensitizer and a hypoxia-activated prodrug against biofilm-associated chronic lung infections.

Simultaneous Biofilm Disruption, Bacterial Killing, and Inflammation Elimination for Wound Treatment Using Silver Embellished Polydopamine Nanoplatform.

Due to the presence of spatial barriers, persistent bacteria, and excessive inflammation in bacteria biofilm-infected wounds, current nanoplatforms cannot effectively address these issues simultaneously during the therapeutic process. Herein, a novel biomimetic photothermal nanoplatform integrating silver and polydopamine nanoparticles (Ag/PDAs) that can damage biofilms, kill bacterial persisters, and reduce inflammation for wound treatment is presented. These findings reveal that Ag/PDAs exhibit a broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity through direct damage to the bacterial membrane structure.

Ultrasound-Stimulated "Exocytosis" by Cell-Like Microbubbles Enhances Antibacterial Species Penetration and Immune Activation Against Implant Infection.

Host immune systems serving as crucial defense lines are vital resisting mechanisms against biofilm-associated implant infections. Nevertheless, biofilms hinder the penetration of anti-bacterial species, inhibit phagocytosis of immune cells, and frustrate host inflammatory responses, ultimately resulting in the weakness of the host immune system for biofilm elimination. Herein, a cell-like construct is developed through encapsulation of erythrocyte membrane fragments on the surface of Fe O nanoparticle-fabricated microbubbles and then loaded with hydroxyurea (EMB-Hu).

Two-dimensional ternary chalcogenide nanodots with spatially controlled catalytic activity for bacteria infected wound treatment.

Nanozymes hold great prospects for bacteria-infected wound management, yet the spatial control of their catalytic activity in infected area and normal tissues remains mired by the heterogeneity of tissue microenvironment. Here, we develop a novel two-dimensional ternary chalcogenide nanodots (CuMoS, CMS NDs) with renal clearable ability and controlled catalytic activity for bacteria-infected wound treatment. The two-dimensional CMS NDs (∼4 nm) are prepared by a simple microwave-assisted chemical synthetic route.

Nanotherapeutics with immunoregulatory functions for the treatment of bacterial infection.

The advent of drug-resistant pathogens results in the occurrence of stubborn bacterial infections that cannot be treated with traditional antibiotics. Antibacterial immunotherapy by reviving or activating the body's immune system to eliminate pathogenic bacteria has confirmed promising therapeutic strategies in controlling bacterial infections. Subsequent studies found that antimicrobial immunotherapy has its own benefits and limitations, such as avoiding recurrence of infection and autoimmunity-induced side effects.

Recent advances in Prussian blue-based photothermal therapy in cancer treatment.

Malignant tumours are a serious threat to human health. Traditional chemotherapy has achieved breakthrough improvements but also has significant detrimental effects, such as the development of drug resistance, immunosuppression, and even systemic toxicity. Photothermal therapy (PTT) is an emerging cancer therapy.

Self-Adaptive Antibiofilm Effect and Immune Regulation by Hollow CuMoS Nanospheres for Treatment of Implant Infections.

Implant infections are difficult to cure by traditional antibiotic therapy due to bacterial biofilm-induced antibiotic tolerance and impaired immune responses. To efficiently treat implant infections, therapeutic agents need to kill bacteria and regulate the inflammatory response of immune cells during the biofilm elimination process. Herein, multifunctional smart hollow CuMoS nanospheres (H-CMS NSs) with pH-responsive enzyme-like activities were prepared for self-adaptively eliminating biofilms and regulating the inflammation of macrophages in implant infections.

Endogenous/Exogenous Nanovaccines Synergistically Enhance Dendritic Cell-Mediated Tumor Immunotherapy.

Traditional dendritic cell (DC)-mediated immunotherapy is usually suppressed by weak immunogenicity in tumors and generally leads to unsatisfactory outcomes. Synergistic exogenous/endogenous immunogenic activation can provide an alternative strategy for evoking a robust immune response by promoting DC activation. Herein, Ti C MXene-based nanoplatforms (termed MXP) are prepared with high-efficiency near-infrared photothermal conversion and immunocompetent loading capacity to form endogenous/exogenous nanovaccines.

Emerging nanosonosensitizers augment sonodynamic-mediated antimicrobial therapies.

With the widespread prevalence of drug-resistant pathogens, traditional antibiotics have limited effectiveness and do not yield the desired outcomes. Recently, alternative antibacterial therapies based on ultrasound (US) have been explored to overcome the crisis of bacterial pathogens. Antimicrobial sonodynamic therapy (aSDT) offers an excellent solution that relies on US irradiation to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) and achieve antibiotic-free mediated antimicrobial effects.

Ultrasound-responsive catalytic microbubbles enhance biofilm elimination and immune activation to treat chronic lung infections.

Efficient treatment of chronic lung infections caused by biofilms is a great challenge because of drug tolerance and immune evasion issues. Here, we develop ultrasound-responsive catalytic microbubbles with biofilm elimination and immune activation properties to combat chronic lung infection induced by biofilms. In these microbubbles, piperacillin and FeO nanoparticles form a drug-loaded shell surrounding the air core.

Amylase degradation enhanced NIR photothermal therapy and fluorescence imaging of bacterial biofilm infections.

Effective treatment of bacterial biofilm-related infections is a great challenge for the medical community. During the formation of biofilms, bacteria excrete extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), including polysaccharides, proteins, nucleic acids, , to encapsulate themselves and form a "fort-like" structure, which greatly reduces the efficiency of therapeutic agents. Herein, we prepared a nanoagent (MnO-amylase-PEG-ICG nanosheets, MAPI NSs) with biofilm degradation capability for efficient photothermal therapy and fluorescence imaging of methicillin-resistant (MRSA) biofilm infections.

Potentiating hypoxic microenvironment for antibiotic activation by photodynamic therapy to combat bacterial biofilm infections.

Traditional antibiotic treatment has limited efficacy for the drug-tolerant bacteria present in biofilms because of their unique metabolic conditions in the biofilm infection microenvironment. Modulating the biofilm infection microenvironment may influence the metabolic state of the bacteria and provide alternative therapeutic routes. In this study, photodynamic therapy is used not only to eradicate methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus biofilms in the normoxic condition, but also to potentiate the hypoxic microenvironment, which induces the anaerobic metabolism of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and activates the antibacterial activity of metronidazole.

NIR-responsive MoS-CuWS nanosheets for catalytic/photothermal therapy of methicillin-resistant infections.

The extensive usage of antibiotics causes the rapid evolution of drug-resistant bacteria, which seriously threaten human health. Thus, efficient strategies for treating drug-resistant bacterial infections are urgently needed. Herein, MoS-CuWS nanosheets (MS-CWS NSs) are prepared as a near-infrared (NIR) light responsive nanozyme to effectively combat methicillin-resistant (MRSA) infections by catalytic/photothermal effects.

Photocatalytic CuWS Nanocrystals for Efficient Bacterial Killing and Biofilm Disruption.

Background: Bacterial biofilm-related wound infections threaten human health due to the lack of efficient treatments. Therefore, developing a novel strategy for wound infection care is urgently needed.

Methods: Cube-shaped CuWS nanocrystals (CWSNs) were successfully prepared via a microwave-assisted method.

Elastic Nanovaccine Enhances Dendritic Cell-Mediated Tumor Immunotherapy.

Nanovaccine-based immunotherapy (NBI) has the ability to initiate dendritic cell (DC)-mediated tumor-specific immune responses and maintain long-term antitumor immune memory. To date, the mechanism by which the mechanical properties of nanoparticles alter the functions of DCs in NBI remains largely unclear. Here, a soft mesoporous organosilica-based nanovaccine (SMONV) is prepared and the elasticity-dependent effect of the nanovaccine on the underlying DC-mediated immune responses is studied.

A multifunctional Fenton nanoagent for microenvironment-selective anti-biofilm and anti-inflammatory therapy.

Bacterial biofilm infections are intractable to traditional antibiotic treatment and usually cause persistent inflammation. Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) based on the Fenton reaction has recently emerged as a promising anti-biofilm strategy. However, the therapeutic efficacy of current Fenton agents often suffers from inefficient Fenton activity and lacks anti-inflammatory capability.

Mitochondria-Targeting MoS-Based Nanoagents for Enhanced NIR-II Photothermal-Chemodynamic Synergistic Oncotherapy.

The synergy of chemodynamic therapy (CDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) can improve anticancer efficacy, while the limited diffusion distance and the short lifetime of OH still greatly restrict the therapeutic efficacy of PTT-CDT. Herein, MoS@PDA-Fe@PEG/TPP (MPFPT) nanosheets (NSs) with mitochondria-targeting ability were reported for enhanced PTT-CDT synergistic oncotherapy. MPFPT NSs were prepared by covalent modification of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and triphenylphosphonium (TPP) on polydopamine (PDA)-Fecoated MoS NSs.

Fluorescence and ratiometric photoacoustic imaging of endogenous furin activity peptide functionalized MoS nanosheets.

Furin is an important cellular endoprotease, which is expressed at high levels in various cancer cells. Accurate and real-time detection of endogenous furin with high sensitivity and selectivity is significant for the diagnosis of cancer. Herein an activatable nanoprobe (MoS@PDA-PEG/peptide, MPPF) with dual-mode near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF)/ratiometric photoacoustic (PA) imaging of endogenous furin activity has been developed.

Hyaluronidase-responsive phototheranostic nanoagents for fluorescence imaging and photothermal/photodynamic therapy of methicillin-resistant infections.

Infectious diseases associated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria are ever-growing threats to public health. Effective treatment and detection methods of bacterial infections are in urgent demand. Herein, novel phototheranostic nanoagents (MoS2@HA-Ce6 nanosheets, MHC NSs) with hyaluronidase (HAase)-responsive fluorescence imaging (FLI) and photothermal/photodynamic therapy (PTT/PDT) functions were prepared.

A photothermally-induced HClO-releasing nanoplatform for imaging-guided tumor ablation and bacterial prevention.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a cure that can inhibit tumor growth effectively and even remove tumor via photo-induced local hyperthermia. However, its shortcoming lies in the fact that excessive heat is most likely to lead to thermal injury at the epidermis of the tumor region and even the area of the surrounding tissue. As a consequence, the exposure of the thermally-induced wound would result in the increased risk of bacterial infection.

Cu MoS Nanozyme with NIR-II Light Enhanced Catalytic Activity for Efficient Eradication of Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria.

Nanozymes with unique enzyme-like catalytic properties and versatile functionalities are particularly attractive for the treatment of bacterial infections, especially for combating drug-resistant bacteria. However, inherently low catalytic activity significantly limits their antibacterial performance. Herein, a new near-infrared II (NIR-II) light responsive nanozyme (Cu MoS nanoplates, CMS NPs) is developed for efficient eradication of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria.

Accelerating thrombolysis using a precision and clot-penetrating drug delivery strategy by nanoparticle-shelled microbubbles.

Conventional thrombolytic drugs for vascular blockage such as tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) are challenged by the low bioavailability, off-target side effects and limited penetration in thrombi, leading to delayed recanalization. We hypothesize that these challenges can be addressed with the targeted and controlled delivery of thrombolytic drugs or precision drug delivery. A porous and magnetic microbubble platform is developed to formulate tPA.