pH-Responsive, Light-Triggered on-Demand Antibiotic Release from Functional Metal-Organic Framework for Bacterial Infection Combination Therapy

To satisfy the ever-growing demand in bacterial infection therapy and other fields of science, great effort is being devoted to the development of methods to precisely control drug release and achieve targeted use of an active substance at the right time and place. Here, a new strategy for bacterial infection combination therapy based on the light-responsive zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF) is reported. A pH-jump reagent is modified into the porous structure of ZIF nanoparticles as a gatekeeper, allowing the UV-light (365 nm) responsive in situ production of acid, which subsequently induces pH-dependent degradation of ZIF and promotes the release of the antibiotic loaded in the mesopores. The combination of the UV-light, the pH-triggered precise antibiotic release, and the zinc ions enables the light-activated nanocomposite to significantly inhibit bacteria-induced wound infection and accelerate wound healing, indicating a switchable and synergistic antibacterial effect. The light irradiated accumulation of acid ensures the controlled release of antibiotic and controlled degradation of ZIF, suggesting the therapeutic potential of the metal-organic frameworks-based smart platform for controlling bacterial infection.