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Updated: Sep 11, 2025
Author Spotlight: Metallic Nanocomposites to Eliminate Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
Published on: October 4, 2024
Silver-loaded hollow copper sulfide particles for antibacterial therapy
Yue Hou1,2, Fanling Zhang3, Hong Sun1,2
1Translational Medicine Center, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 101149, China. chuhongqian@bjxkyy.cn.
Abstract:
The misuse of antibiotics has accelerated the spread of antibiotic resistance (AR), making it a major global health threat. Drug-resistant bacteria, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Escherichia coli (E. coli), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), continue to cause severe infections worldwide. This underscores the need for alternative antibacterial strategies. Photothermal therapy (PTT) is an appealing antibacterial approach with excellent biocompatibility and the ability to overcome AR; however, its effectiveness is often limited by the heat resistance of bacteria. In this study, a stepwise preparation method was employed, where a hollow copper sulfide (CuS) structure was first synthesized using a templating method, followed by the reduction of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) on its surface to obtain the CuS@Ag hybrid nanostructure. In vitro, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) was selected as a model for M. tb in the antibacterial activity testing. Briefly, BCG was treated with 0.02 mg mL-1 CuS@Ag, followed by exposure to 808 nm laser irradiation for 6 minutes, and then incubated at 37 °C for 24 hours, achieving an antibacterial rate of 94.8%. Additionally, E. coli and S. aureus were subjected to the same conditions and incubated at 37 °C for 1 hour, achieving antibacterial rates of 33.5% and 49.4%, respectively. At a high 1.02 mg mL-1 concentration, CuS@Ag exhibited 100% antibacterial efficacy against BCG, E. coli, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa. Overall, our results demonstrate that CuS@Ag effectively combines the controllable photothermal therapeutic properties of CuS with the antibacterial activity of Ag nanoparticles, resulting in potent antimycobacterial and broad-spectrum antibacterial effects.
Insights
A novel copper sulfide-silver nanoparticle (CuS@Ag) hybrid nanostructure effectively combats antibiotic resistance (AR) through photothermal therapy (PTT). This CuS@Ag material shows potent antibacterial activity against drug-resistant bacteria like Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Antibiotic resistance (AR) is a critical global health challenge, driven by antibiotic misuse and leading to severe infections worldwide.
- Drug-resistant bacteria such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa necessitate novel antibacterial strategies.
- Photothermal therapy (PTT) offers a promising biocompatible approach to overcome AR, but bacterial heat resistance can limit its efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a novel CuS@Ag hybrid nanostructure for enhanced photothermal antibacterial therapy.
- To investigate the antibacterial efficacy of CuS@Ag against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (model: Bacillus Calmette-Guérin), E. coli, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa.
- To assess the combined photothermal and nanoparticle antibacterial effects of the CuS@Ag nanostructure.
Main Methods:
- A stepwise synthesis involved creating hollow copper sulfide (CuS) nanostructures followed by silver nanoparticle (Ag NP) reduction on the surface, yielding CuS@Ag.
- In vitro antibacterial activity was tested using Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) as an M. tb model, E. coli, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa.
- Bacterial treatments included CuS@Ag exposure followed by 808 nm laser irradiation and subsequent incubation at 37°C.
Main Results:
- CuS@Ag demonstrated significant antibacterial activity, achieving a 94.8% rate against BCG with 0.02 mg mL⁻¹ concentration and 6-minute laser exposure.
- Under identical conditions, E. coli and S. aureus showed 33.5% and 49.4% antibacterial rates, respectively.
- At a higher concentration (1.02 mg mL⁻¹), CuS@Ag achieved 100% efficacy against BCG, E. coli, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa, indicating broad-spectrum activity.
Conclusions:
- The CuS@Ag hybrid nanostructure effectively combines the photothermal properties of CuS with the antibacterial action of Ag NPs.
- This synergistic approach results in potent antimycobacterial and broad-spectrum antibacterial effects, offering a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics.
- The developed CuS@Ag nanostructure shows potential for overcoming bacterial heat resistance and combating antibiotic-resistant infections.
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