pH-Triggered Size-Transformable and Bioactivity-Switchable Self-Assembling Chimeric Peptide Nanoassemblies for Combating Drug-Resistant Bacteria and Biofilms
发布于: 2023-08-28 来源: 国家饲料工程技术研究中心
摘要：Drug-resistant bacteria and biofilm-associated infections are prominent
problems in the field of antibacterial medicine, seriously affecting human and
animal health. Despite the great potential of nanomaterials in the antibacterial
field, overcoming the paradox of size and charge, efficient penetration, and
retention within biofilms remain a formidable challenge. Here, self-assembling
chimeric peptide nanoassemblies composed of multiple functional fragments
are designed for the treatment of drug-resistant bacteria and
biofilm-associated infections. Notably, the chimeric peptide self-assembles
into nanofibers at pH 7.4 and is transformable into nanoparticles in the acidic
biofilm-infected microenvironment at pH 5.0, and thus achieves a size
reduction and charge increase, improving the penetration into the bacterial
biofilms and killing drug-resistant bacteria by a mechanism dominated by
membrane cleavage. In vivo mouse and piglet infection models confirm the
ability of chimeric peptide nanoassemblies to reduce bacterial load within
biofilms. Collectively, this research on pathological-environment-driven
nanostructural transformations may provide a theoretical basis for designing
high-performance antibacterial nanomaterials and advance the application of
peptide-based nanomaterials in medicine and animal husbandry.