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A Supramolecular Trap to Increase the Antibacterial Activity of Colistin
Fang-Hsuean Liao1, Te-Haw Wu1, Chun-Nien Yao1
1Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Nanomedicine, National Health Research Institutes (NHRI), Zhunan Town, Miaoli County, 35053, Taiwan.
Abstract:
A strong interaction between colistin, a last-resort antibiotic of the polymyxin family, and free lipopolysaccharide (LPS, also referred to as endotoxin), released from the Gram-negative bacterial (GNB) outer membrane (OM), has been identified that can decrease the antibacterial efficacy of colistin, potentially increasing the dose of this antibiotic required for treatment. The competition between LPS in the GNB OM and free LPS for the interaction with colistin was prevented by using a supramolecular trap to capture free LPS. The supramolecular trap, fabricated from a subnanometer gold nanosheet with methyl motifs (SAuM), blocks lipid A, preventing the interaction between lipid A and colistin. This can minimize endotoxemia and maximize the antibacterial efficacy of colistin, enabling colistin to be used at lower doses. Thus, the potential crisis of colistin resistance could be avoided.
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