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Co-delivery of nitric oxide and antibiotic using polymeric nanoparticles
Thuy-Khanh Nguyen1, Ramona Selvanayagam1, Kitty K K Ho2
1Centre for Advanced Macromolecular Design (CAMD) and Australian Centre for NanoMedicine (ACN) , School of Chemical Engineering , UNSW Australia , Sydney , NSW 2052 , Australia . Email: cboyer@unsw.edu.au ;
Chemical Science
|August 16, 2017
Summary
New dual-action nanoparticles combat hospital-acquired infections by releasing nitric oxide (NO) to disperse biofilms and gentamicin to kill bacteria. This synergistic approach effectively reduces bacterial viability, addressing antibiotic resistance challenges.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Infectious Diseases
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are a major global health concern, leading to significant mortality and healthcare costs.
- Increasing antibiotic resistance in bacterial biofilms reduces treatment efficacy, posing a critical threat to public health.
- Existing treatments struggle to effectively eradicate biofilms, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate novel dual-action polymeric nanoparticles for combating HAIs.
- To investigate the synergistic effects of nitric oxide (NO) and gentamicin delivered via nanoparticles against bacterial biofilms.
- To address the challenge of antibiotic resistance in pathogens like *Pseudomonas aeruginosa*.
Main Methods:
- Development of dual-action polymeric nanoparticles co-delivering nitric oxide (NO)-releasing moieties and the aminoglycoside gentamicin.
- Assessment of simultaneous release kinetics of both therapeutic agents from the nanoparticles.
- Evaluation of the efficacy of nanoparticles against *Pseudomonas aeruginosa* biofilm and planktonic cultures in vitro.
- Comparison of nanoparticle treatment with single-agent (NO or gentamicin) treatments.
Main Results:
- Nanoparticles successfully released both NO and gentamicin simultaneously, demonstrating synergistic antimicrobial activity.
- Treatment with dual-action nanoparticles reduced *Pseudomonas aeruginosa* biofilm viability by over 90%.
- Planktonic *Pseudomonas aeruginosa* cultures showed over 95% viability reduction with nanoparticle treatment.
- Single-agent treatments (NO or gentamicin alone) resulted in less than 20% decrease in biofilm viability.
Conclusions:
- Dual-action nanoparticles co-delivering NO and gentamicin offer a promising synergistic strategy against HAIs and antibiotic-resistant biofilms.
- The attachment of an NO-releasing moiety to gentamicin enhances its efficacy, providing a novel therapeutic approach.
- This innovative drug delivery system significantly improves bacterial eradication compared to conventional single-agent therapies.
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