Near-infrared light-controllable on-demand antibiotics release using thermo-sensitive hydrogel-based drug reservoir for combating bacterial infection

A near-infrared (NIR) light-triggerable thermo-sensitive hydrogel-based drug reservoir that can realize on-demand antibiotics release and hyperthermia-assisted bacterial inactivation was prepared to combat bacterial infection and promote wound healing. The drug reservoir was fabricated by mixing ciprofloxacin (Cip, a potent antibiotic)-loaded polydopamine (PDA) nanoparticles (NPs) and glycol chitosan (GC) to form an injectable hydrogel (PDA NP-Cip/GC hydrogel, abbreviated as Gel-Cip). On the one hand, the positive charge of GC and the adsorbability of PDA NPs made bacteria be readily trapped on the surface of Gel-Cip. On the other hand, the Gel-Cip exhibited minimal leakage under physiological conditions, but could boost Cip release upon NIR light irradiation. Meanwhile, NIR light irradiation could activate the photothermal PDA NPs, and the generated local hyperthermia induced the destruction of the bacterial integrity, leading to bacterial inactivation in a synergistic way. Moreover, the exceptional bacterial killing activity and outstanding wound healing ability of the system were also verified by the S. aureus-infected mouse skin defect model. Taken together, the light-activatable hydrogel-based platform allows us to release antibiotics more precisely, eliminate bacteria more effectively, and inhibit bacteria-induced infections more persistently, which will advance the development of novel antibacterial agents and strategies.