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Vision redemption: Self-reporting AIEgens for combined treatment of bacterial keratitis
Chen Peng1, Wenjie Sun2, Chengcheng Zhou3
1Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, Division of Life Science and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China; Department of Radiology, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201508, China.
Abstract:
Bacterial keratitis (BK) is one of the most commonly leading causes of visual impairment and blindness worldwide, and suffers the risk of drug-resistant infections due to the abuse of antibiotics. Herein, we report a cationic diphenyl luminogen with aggregation-induced emission called IQ-Cm containing isoquinolinium and coumarin units for theranostic study of BK. IQ-Cm has no obvious cytotoxicity to mammalian cells below a certain concentration, and could preferentially bind to bacteria over mammalian cells. IQ-Cm can be used as a sensitive self-reporting probe to rapidly discriminate live and dead bacteria by the visual emission colors. The intrinsic dark toxicity to bacteria and generation of reactive oxygen species under light irradiation endow IQ-Cm with excellent antibacterial activity in vitro and in BK rabbit models infected with S. aureus. The present study provides a sensitive and efficient theranostic strategy for rapid discrimination of various bacterial states and the combined treatment of BK based on the intrinsic dark antibacterial activity and photodynamic therapy effect.
Insights
A new probe, IQ-Cm, effectively diagnoses bacterial keratitis (BK) by distinguishing live and dead bacteria. It also treats BK through dark toxicity and photodynamic therapy, offering a dual-action approach for vision impairment.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Materials Science
- Microbiology
Background:
- Bacterial keratitis (BK) is a major cause of vision loss globally.
- Antibiotic resistance poses a significant challenge in treating BK.
- Current diagnostic and therapeutic methods for BK require improvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel theranostic agent for bacterial keratitis.
- To create a probe capable of discriminating between live and dead bacteria.
- To evaluate the combined therapeutic efficacy of dark toxicity and photodynamic therapy for BK.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of a cationic diphenyl luminogen (IQ-Cm) with aggregation-induced emission properties.
- Assessment of IQ-Cm's cytotoxicity and bacterial selectivity.
- Evaluation of IQ-Cm as a bacterial discrimination probe and its antibacterial activity in vitro and in vivo.
- Investigation of IQ-Cm's photodynamic therapy potential.
Main Results:
- IQ-Cm demonstrated preferential binding to bacteria over mammalian cells with minimal cytotoxicity.
- IQ-Cm effectively discriminated between live and dead bacteria through distinct emission colors.
- IQ-Cm exhibited intrinsic dark toxicity and potent photodynamic antibacterial activity against S. aureus.
- Successful treatment of BK in rabbit models was achieved using IQ-Cm.
Conclusions:
- IQ-Cm serves as a sensitive and efficient theranostic probe for bacterial states.
- The combined dark toxicity and photodynamic therapy of IQ-Cm offer a promising strategy for BK treatment.
- This approach addresses the challenges of drug resistance and improves outcomes for bacterial keratitis.
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