Mucolytic and antibiotic combination therapy using silica-based nanocarriers to eradicate Escherichia coli biofilms
Abstract
This research provides new insights into the treatment of E. coli biofilm-related infections through the design of new antimicrobial nanoformulations based on mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) for mucolytic and antibiotic combination therapy against E. coli biofilms. The development of nanosystems with well-defined compartments to house and sequentially deliver different antimicrobial agents was carried out. A relatively simple and direct straightforward approach was carried out, consisting of loading MSNs with levofloxacin (LVX) by an impregnation method followed by external coating with a gelatin shell embedding a mixture of N-acetylcysteine (AC) plus LVX. Thus, the release of the mucolytic agent, AC, at the earliest stage causes disaggregation of the outer mucopolysaccharide layer of the mature E. coli biofilm, as confirmed by confocal laser scanning microscopy studies. This biofilm disruption effect facilitates the antimicrobial action of LVX, which is released in a more sustained manner over longer periods of time than AC, achieving a remarkable reduction (ca. 99.8%) of mature E. coli biofilms. These results are supported by the combined effect of AC and LVX strategically combined in the same nanocarrier. Preliminary in vitro studies with preosteoblastic cells point to the good biocompatibility of these nanosystems.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Association of lower urinary tract symptoms and OAB severity with quality of life and mental health in China, Taiwan and South Korea: results from a cross-sectional, population-based study
- Ten-Day Quadruple Therapy Comprising Low-Dose Rabeprazole, Bismuth, Amoxicillin, and Tetracycline Is an Effective and Safe First-Line Treatment for Helicobacter pylori Infection in a Population with High Antibiotic Resistance: a Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized, Parallel-Controlled Clinical Trial in China
- The Role of the NLR and PLR in Urinary Tract Infection
- Threat of Antimicrobial Resistance among Pilgrims with Infectious Diseases during Hajj: Lessons Learnt from COVID-19 Pandemic
- Leclercia adecarboxylata urinary tract infection in a patient with bladder cancer and recurrent hematuria
- A Case Series of Staphylococcus lugdunensis Infection in Cancer Patients at an Academic Cancer Institute in the United States
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.