1 research outputs found
Magnetic Glycol Chitin-Based Hydrogel Nanocomposite for Combined Thermal and d‑Amino-Acid-Assisted Biofilm Disruption
Bacterial biofilms
are highly antibiotic resistant microbial cell associations that lead
to chronic infections. Unlike free-floating planktonic bacterial cells,
the biofilms are encapsulated in a hardly penetrable extracellular
polymeric matrix and, thus, demand innovative approaches for treatment.
Recent advancements on the development of gel-nanocomposite systems
with tailored therapeutic properties provide promising routes to develop
novel antimicrobial agents that can be designed to disrupt and completely
eradicate preformed biofilms. In our study, we developed a unique
thermoresponsive magnetic glycol chitin-based nanocomposite containing d-amino acids and iron oxide nanoparticles, which can be delivered
and undergoes transformation from a solution to a gel state at physiological
temperature for sustained release of d-amino acids and magnetic
field actuated thermal treatment of targeted infection sites. The d-amino acids in the hydrogel nanocomposite have been previously
reported to inhibit biofilm formation and also disrupt existing biofilms.
In addition, loading the hydrogel nanocomposite with magnetic nanoparticles
allows for combination thermal treatment following magnetic field
(magnetic hyperthermia) stimulation. Using this novel two-step approach
to utilize an externally actuated gel-nanocomposite system for thermal
treatment, following initial disruption with d-amino acids,
we were able to demonstrate in vitro the total eradication of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> biofilms, which were resistant to
conventional antibiotics and were not completely eradicated by separate d-amino acid or magnetic hyperthermia treatments