Microwave-Actuated Hot-Carrier/Polarization Triggers Catalysis to Coordinate Staphylococcus aureus Ribosome Stalling...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Infectious Disease Research

Background:

• Microwave dynamic therapy (MWDT) faces limitations in treating deep-seated infections due to low microwave energy.
• Novel strategies are needed to amplify MWDT efficacy for enhanced antimicrobial treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an efficient MW-actuated hot-carrier/polarization-triggered catalysis strategy to improve MWDT for deep infections.
• To investigate the synergistic effects of tandem reactors and MW-induced bacterial ribosome stalling for targeted antimicrobial therapy.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of Seebeck-type (CNT-Bi2Te3) and pyroelectric-type (CNT-ZnO) MW-thermal-electricity tandem reactors.
• Utilizing carbon nanotubes (CNT) to convert microwaves into local heat, activating Bi2Te3 or ZnO for reactive oxygen species (ROS) production.
• Employing transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses to understand MW effects on Staphylococcus aureus at the ribosomal level.

Main Results:

• The tandem reactors efficiently produced ROS by activating hot-carrier or polarization effects.
• Microwaves were found to stall Staphylococcus aureus ribosomes, inhibiting bacterial proliferation.
• Demonstrated a targeted bactericidal effect in vivo and in vitro through the synergy of the tandem reactor and ribosome stalling.

Conclusions:

• The developed MW-thermal-electricity tandem reactors significantly enhance MWDT efficacy for deep-seated infections.
• The strategy synergizes material catalysis with direct bacterial inhibition (ribosome stalling) for potent antimicrobial activity.
• This approach offers a promising foundation for developing advanced antimicrobial products for precise and efficient therapies.