Boric acid-substituted phthalocyanine/ciprofloxacin co-assembled nanoparticles for constructing bacteria-responsive intelligent wound dressings with synergistic therapy and recognition of bacterial infections

• Published in: International journal of biological macromolecules 2025-01, Vol.301, p.140333, Article 140333
• Main Authors: Xu, Ziqian, Li, Haochen, Zhou, Shangmei, Sun, Haocong, Zhang, Peng, Zheng, Ke, Ding, Caifeng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Photodynamic antibacterial therapy; Phthalocyanines; Switchable theranostics
• ISSN: 0141-8130; 1879-0003; 1879-0003
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.140333

In contemporary times, the waning effectiveness of antibiotics against bacterial infections is progressively giving rise to significant concerns in public health. Although photodynamic technology possesses a potent ability to deactivate bacteria, its non-selective attack on normal cells poses potential side effects. Hence, in this study, a boric acid-substituted phthalocyanine photosensitizer (BAPc) was synthesized, exhibiting remarkable bacterial targeting capability. BAPc was assembled with antibiotic ciprofloxacin (CIP) followed by the integration into polylysine-modified alginate dressing to obtain the product BAPc-CIP@AD-PL. Interestingly, the release of antibacterial agents and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from BAPc-CIP@AD-PL can be triggered by bacteria, thereby eliciting synergistic bactericidal effect and effectively promoting wound healing in bacterial infections. Additionally, the fluorescence of BAPc-CIP@AD-PL can be activated by bacteria, facilitating the recognition of bacterial infections. The construction strategy and application principle of this multifunctional antibacterial dressing provide a novel perspective for the development of intelligent antibacterial therapy.