Vol. 1 No. 1 (2025)

Articles

Dual-Enzyme-Mimicking MOF-Derived Carbon Nanoparticles Loaded with Antimicrobial Peptides for Smart Photothermal-Assisted Bacterial Wound Infection Therapy

Published 2025-08-03

  • Amir Hossein
    • ,
  • Sophie Martin

Amir Hossein
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, N2L 3G1, Canada

Sophie Martin
Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, N2L 3G1, Canada

Abstract

Bacterial wound infections, particularly those caused by drug-resistant strains (e.g., methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA), pose a severe threat to public health due to limited treatment options and high mortality rates. Conventional antibiotics often fail to eliminate biofilms and induce drug resistance, while single-modal antimicrobial strategies lack efficiency in complex infection microenvironments. Herein, we report a smart nanotherapeutic platform based on metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived carbon nanoparticles (MDC NPs) with dual enzyme-mimetic activities (peroxidase-like and catalase-like) and photothermal properties, loaded with antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) for synergistic bacterial wound infection therapy. The MDC NPs were synthesized by pyrolyzing zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) at 800°C, followed by surface modification with polyethylene glycol (PEG) to enhance biocompatibility. The dual enzyme-mimetic activities of MDC NPs enable them to catalytically generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) via peroxidase-like activity in the presence of H₂O₂ (abundant in infected wounds) and decompose excess H₂O₂ into O₂ via catalase-like activity to relieve oxidative stress in normal tissues. Under near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation (808 nm), MDC NPs exhibit excellent photothermal conversion efficiency (42.3%), which not only directly ablates bacteria but also promotes AMP release from the nanoparticle surface. In vitro studies show that the MDC-AMP nanosystem achieves 99.8% and 99.2% antibacterial efficiency against E. coli (Gram-negative) and MRSA (Gram-positive), respectively, and effectively disrupts MRSA biofilms (biofilm degradation rate: 87.6%). In a MRSA-infected mouse full-thickness skin wound model, MDC-AMP + NIR treatment accelerates wound closure (wound healing rate: 92.3% at day 7 vs. 45.6% for saline control), reduces inflammatory cell infiltration, and promotes collagen deposition. This work demonstrates a versatile nanotherapeutic strategy that integrates enzyme catalysis, photothermal therapy, and AMP-based antimicrobial action, providing a promising solution for drug-resistant bacterial wound infections and advancing the convergence of nanomaterial science and clinical microbiology.

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