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Published on: August 22, 2014
Highly efficient nanomedicine from cationic antimicrobial peptide-protected Ag nanoclusters
Zhikai Ye1, Haishuang Zhu1, Shan Zhang1
1State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China. lijingce@ciac.ac.cn and University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230029, P. R. China.
Highly luminescent silver nanoclusters conjugated with an antimicrobial peptide (Dpep-Ag NCs) show enhanced antibacterial activity against E. coli. These nanoclusters demonstrate superior wound healing in a murine model, offering a promising nanomedicine approach.
Area of Science:
- Nanomedicine
- Antimicrobial Agents
- Biomaterials
Background:
- Optimizing the bio-nano interface is crucial for enhancing nanomedicine antimicrobial efficacy.
- Silver nanoclusters (Ag NCs) offer tunable properties for biomedical applications.
- Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are potent bactericides with potential for nanodrug development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and synthesize highly luminescent silver nanoclusters homogeneously conjugated with an antimicrobial peptide (Dpep-Ag NCs).
- To evaluate the enhanced antimicrobial efficiency of Dpep-Ag NCs against Gram-negative bacteria.
- To assess the therapeutic potential of Dpep-Ag NCs in a murine wound infection model.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of Dpep-Ag NCs using a reduction-decomposition-reduction process.
- Characterization of Dpep-Ag NCs for luminescence, size, and charge.
- In vitro evaluation of antibacterial activity against E. coli, including minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination.
- In vivo assessment of wound healing in a murine model.
Main Results:
- Homogeneously conjugated Dpep-Ag NCs were successfully synthesized, exhibiting high luminescence.
- Dpep-Ag NCs demonstrated significantly enhanced bacterial killing efficiency compared to control groups (BSA-Ag NCs, Opep-Ag NPs).
- Dpep-Ag NCs showed a ~100-fold reduced MIC against E. coli compared to commercial Ag NPs and promoted faster wound healing in vivo.
Conclusions:
- The designed Dpep-Ag NCs effectively combine the bactericidal properties of Ag+ and Dpep, leading to superior antimicrobial performance.
- The ultrasmall size and positive charge of Dpep-Ag NCs facilitate enhanced interaction with bacterial cell membranes.
- Dpep-Ag NCs represent a promising nanomedicine platform for effective treatment of bacterial infections and promotion of wound healing.
