Skip to main content
 
Notice: Users may be experiencing issues with displaying some pages on stanfordhealthcare.org. We are working closely with our technical teams to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience.
Stanford Health Care

Theranostic gold-in-gold cage nanoparticles enable photothermal ablation and photoacoustic imaging in biofilm-associated infection models.

Theranostic gold-in-gold cage nanoparticles enable photothermal ablation and photoacoustic imaging in biofilm-associated infection models. The Journal of clinical investigation Hajfathalian, M., de Vries, C. R., Hsu, J. C., Amirshaghaghi, A., Dong, Y. C., Ren, Z., Liu, Y., Huang, Y., Li, Y., Knight, S. A., Jonnalagadda, P., Zlitni, A., Grice, E. A., Bollyky, P. L., Koo, H., Cormode, D. P. 2023

Abstract

Biofilms are structured communities of microbial cells embedded in a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substances. Biofilms are associated with many health issues in humans, including chronic wound infections and tooth decay. Current antimicrobials are often incapable of disrupting the polymeric biofilm matrix and reaching the bacteria within. Alternative approaches are needed. Here, we describe a unique structure of dextran coated gold in a gold cage nanoparticle that enables photoacoustic and photothermal properties for biofilm detection and treatment. Activation of these nanoparticles with a near infrared laser can selectively detect and kill biofilm bacteria with precise spatial control and in a short timeframe. We observe a strong biocidal effect against both Streptococcus mutans and Staphylococcus aureus biofilms in mouse models of oral plaque and wound infections respectively. These effects were over 100 times greater than that seen with chlorhexidine, a conventional antimicrobial agent. Moreover, this approach did not adversely affect surrounding tissues. We conclude that photothermal ablation using theranostic nanoparticles is a rapid, precise, and non-toxic method to detect and treat biofilm-associated infections.

View details for DOI 10.1172/JCI168485

View details for PubMedID 37651187