Mercaptophenylboronic Acid-Activated Gold Nanoparticles as Nanoantibiotics against Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria-induced infections are becoming challenging issues threatening human health and life. Current antibiotics can hardly tackle this problem. Herein, we present a strategy to prepare mercaptophenylboronic acid (MBA)-activated gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) as an antibacterial agent against MDR bacteria. Both Au NPs and MBA cannot serve as antibiotics. However, when MBA attaches on Au NPs, the Au_MBA NPs show potent antibacterial activities against Gram-positive MDR clinical isolates (e.g., MDR Staphyloccocus aureus, MDR S. aureus; MDR Staphyloccocus epidermidis, MDR S. epidermidis). Furthermore, Au_MBA NPs show an extremely high median lethal dose (LD50, i.v, 960 mg/kg), which is much higher than those of most of the clinically used antibiotics. As an application example, we dope Au_MBA NPs with electrospun poly(epsilon- caprolactone) (PCL)/gelatin nanofibrous membranes as wound dressings, which show striking ability to remedy S. aureus- or MDR S. aureus-infected full-thickness skin wounds on rats. Our study provides a novel strategy for treating MDR bacteria- infected wounds in a simple, low-cost, and efficient way, which holds promise for broad clinical applications.