Extracorporeal near-infrared-activated antimicrobial photodynamic therapy for pneumonia using an ICG-polymer formulation
Abstract
Significance: Pneumonia remains a global health challenge, exacerbated by antimicrobial resistance, which limits the effectiveness of conventional treatments. Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) has emerged as a promising alternative for lower respiratory infections; however, its in vivo performance is hindered by lung surfactant, which traps photosensitizers and reduces their ability to reach bacterial targets.
Aim: To address this limitation, recent studies demonstrated that combining indocyanine green (ICG) with the polymer Gantrez AN-139 enhances photodynamic activity even in the presence of lung surfactants.
Approach: We assessed the therapeutic potential of this formulation in a murine pneumonia model using pulmonary delivery followed by 808 nm infrared irradiation.
Results: Nebulization of 200 μM ICG with 4% Gantrez AN-139 and irradiation at 120 J/cm2 yielded the best results, reducing bacterial load by up to 3 log10 and improving survival to 80%, compared with 40% in controls.
Conclusion: These findings validate the formulation and the procedure for further animal studies.
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