Autoinducing Peptide-Mediated Bacterial Keratitis Therapy by Camouflaged Staphylococcus aureus

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Ophthalmology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) causes microbial keratitis, leading to severe vision impairment.
• Antibiotic resistance and disruption of the ocular microbiota complicate S. aureus infections.
• Current treatments face challenges due to increasing antibiotic resistance and dysbiosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a targeted antimicrobial system for S. aureus infections.
• To design a supramolecular-coated S. aureus (SMCS) system for selective pathogen elimination.
• To evaluate the efficacy of SMCS in restoring corneal microbiota balance.

Main Methods:

• Development of a camouflaged bacterial system (SMCS) utilizing S. aureus.
• Employing autoinducing peptide-mediated signaling for pathogen recognition and aggregation.
• Utilizing amantadine to trigger the release of an antibacterial agent via competitive host-guest interactions.
• In vivo testing in a rat model of bacterial keratitis.

Main Results:

• SMCS demonstrated selective sterilization against pathogenic S. aureus with fourfold higher efficacy than against beneficial bacteria.
• SMCS treatment in a rat keratitis model restored Staphylococcus levels comparable to healthy corneas.
• The treatment effectively eradicated bacteria, enhanced corneal microbial diversity and abundance, and preserved microbiota balance.

Conclusions:

• SMCS offers a targeted and effective strategy for combating S. aureus bacterial keratitis.
• This approach mitigates the negative impact of antibiotics on the ocular microbiota.
• SMCS presents promising clinical potential for bacterial infection treatments and bioapplications.