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Preparation and Characterization of Nanoliposomes for the Entrapment of Bioactive Hydrophilic Globular Proteins
Published on: August 31, 2019
Liposome-functionalized biocompatible polyurethane microspheres with bacteria-capturing traps for comprehensive
Ziyue Ling1, Shifan Chen1, Zhen Hu2
1College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymer Materials, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China. weifeng@scu.edu.cn.
Abstract:
Bacterial infections pose a significant threat to public health, as pathogens and their secreted toxins jointly activate immune responses, and severe cases may develop into sepsis. Effective anti-infective treatment requires comprehensive eradication of pathogens, involving not only bacterial clearance but also neutralization of virulence factors. Traditional adsorbents in blood purification often face a trade-off between efficacy and biosafety. Herein, we develop a graded modified hemoperfusion adsorbent for full-cycle sepsis management. Cationic diallyl dimethylammonium chloride (DDA)-modified carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are embedded within polyurethane precursors, and liposomes (Lipo) are anchored onto the surface of microspheres through polymer chain entanglement and electrostatic interactions during phase separation, resulting in polyurethane-CNT-DDA-Lipo (PUD-L) porous microspheres. This hierarchical modification strategy enables spatial partitioning, effectively balancing the material functionality with biosafety and achieving the simultaneous removal of bacteria and toxins. The porous surface of PUD-L matches the size of the bacteria, serving as a bacterial trap that removes 98.2% of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and 97.2% of Escherichia coli (E. coli) within 3 h. Additionally, PUD-L significantly decreases hemolysis induced by exotoxins (from 49.49% to 0.22%) and reduces endotoxin levels (from 236.08 EU per mL to 38.15 EU per mL), primarily through adsorption. In a sepsis blood model, treatment with PUD-L reduces pro-inflammatory cytokine concentrations to normal physiological levels. Overall, this work highlights that both pathogens and their toxins are key triggers of excessive inflammation. The PUD-L microspheres represent a promising strategy that integrates antibacterial activity and virulence factor adsorption in a hierarchical method while maintaining great biocompatibility, providing a novel platform for the comprehensive management of bacterial infections.
Insights
A novel hemoperfusion adsorbent, PUD-L, effectively removes bacteria and toxins to manage sepsis. This material offers a promising, biocompatible solution for comprehensive bacterial infection treatment.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Infectious Disease Research
Background:
- Bacterial infections and sepsis are critical public health concerns, necessitating pathogen and toxin clearance.
- Current blood purification adsorbents struggle to balance efficacy with biosafety.
- Comprehensive anti-infective strategies require simultaneous removal of bacteria and their virulence factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a graded modified hemoperfusion adsorbent for full-cycle sepsis management.
- To create a material capable of simultaneously removing bacteria and toxins with high efficacy and biosafety.
- To evaluate the performance of the novel adsorbent in a sepsis blood model.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of polyurethane-CNT-DDA-Lipo (PUD-L) porous microspheres via hierarchical modification.
- Embedding cationic diallyl dimethylammonium chloride (DDA)-modified carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in polyurethane.
- Anchoring liposomes (Lipo) onto microsphere surfaces through polymer entanglement and electrostatic interactions.
Main Results:
- PUD-L microspheres demonstrated high bacterial removal rates: 98.2% for *Staphylococcus aureus* and 97.2% for *Escherichia coli* within 3 hours.
- Significant reduction in exotoxin-induced hemolysis (49.49% to 0.22%) and endotoxin levels (236.08 EU/mL to 38.15 EU/mL) via adsorption.
- Treatment with PUD-L in a sepsis blood model normalized pro-inflammatory cytokine concentrations.
Conclusions:
- The PUD-L microspheres offer a hierarchical strategy for simultaneous bacterial and toxin removal, crucial for sepsis management.
- This novel adsorbent balances material functionality with biosafety, demonstrating great biocompatibility.
- PUD-L represents a promising platform for comprehensive treatment of bacterial infections and sepsis.
