Polymeric Nanoparticles Active against Dual-Species Bacterial Biofilms

• Main Authors: Makabenta, Jessa Marie V. (Author), Park, Jungmi (Author), Li, Cheng-Hsuan (Author), Chattopadhyay, Aritra Nath (Author), Nabawy, Ahmed (Author), Landis, Ryan F. (Author), Gupta, Akash (Author), Schmidt-Malan, Suzannah (Author), Patel, Robin (Author), Rotello, Vincent M. (Author)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2022-01-21T16:36:41Z.
• Subjects: Article
• Online Access: Get fulltext

 Biofilm infections are a global public health threat, necessitating new treatment strategies. Biofilm formation also contributes to the development and spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial strains. Biofilm-associated chronic infections typically involve colonization by more than one bacterial species. The co-existence of multiple species of bacteria in biofilms exacerbates therapeutic challenges and can render traditional antibiotics ineffective. Polymeric nanoparticles offer alternative antimicrobial approaches to antibiotics, owing to their tunable physico-chemical properties. Here, we report the efficacy of poly(oxanorborneneimide) (PONI)-based antimicrobial polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs) against multi-species bacterial biofilms. PNPs showed good dual-species biofilm penetration profiles as confirmed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity was observed, with reduction in both bacterial viability and overall biofilm mass. Further, PNPs displayed minimal fibroblast toxicity and high antimicrobial activity in an in vitro co-culture model comprising fibroblast cells and dual-species biofilms of <i>Escherichia coli</i> and <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>. This study highlights a potential clinical application of the presented polymeric platform.