Gold nanocluster based nanocomposites for combinatorial antibacterial therapy for eradicating biofilm forming pathogens

Nanomaterial-based antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) is a promising approach for the eradication of drug-resistant bacterial biofilms. However, the intrinsic cytotoxicity of commonly used nanomaterials and their limited capacity to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) have remained major shortcomings for their use in aPDT. In this study, we report a nanocomposite design strategy that integrates a non-toxic, well-defined antimicrobial gold nanocluster protected with mercaptopropionic acid (denoted Au-18(MPA)(14) NC), and a photosensitizer, protoporphyrin (PpIX), within a chitosan polymer matrix (the nanocomposite is denoted as PpIX-Chito-Au-18). The nanocomposite showed similar to 2 times higher ROS generation capacity upon white light irradiation and thus effectively killed both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens by damaging their membrane and DNA. Furthermore, our confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) data demonstrated that the PpIX-Chito-Au-18 nanocomposite (white light irradiated) has better biofilm penetration and elimination capacity (against both S. aureus and P. aeruginosa biofilms) than Au-18(MPA)(14) NCs alone or the nanocomposite (under dark conditions), revealing the efficacy of the combinatorial therapy through a synergistic killing mechanism. Our work deepens the understanding of the importance of combinatorial antimicrobial therapy using metal NCs and offers the opportunity to explore them in various areas where drug-resistant pathogens are concerned.

Automated summary

Nanomaterial-based antimicrobial photodynamic therapy shows promise in eradicating drug-resistant bacterial biofilms. This study presents a new nanocomposite design that generates higher levels of reactive oxygen species and effectively kills bacteria. Furthermore, the nanocomposite exhibits improved penetration and elimination of biofilms, demonstrating the efficacy of a synergistic killing mechanism.