PUBLICATION

In vivo antimicrobial activity of engineered mesoporous silica nanoparticles targeting intracellular mycobacteria

Authors
Aguilera-Correa, J.J., Tasrini, Y., Gisbert-Garzarán, M., Boulay, A., Carvalho, T., Blanchet, F.P., Vallet-Regí, M., Kremer, L.
ID
ZDB-PUB-250812-13
Date
2025
Source
Nature communications   16: 7388 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Tasrini, Yara
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents*/administration & dosage
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents*/chemistry
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents*/pharmacology
  • Biofilms/drug effects
  • Humans
  • Macrophages/drug effects
  • Macrophages/microbiology
  • Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous*/drug therapy
  • Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous*/microbiology
  • Mycobacterium marinum*/drug effects
  • Nanoparticles*/chemistry
  • Porosity
  • Silicon Dioxide*/chemistry
  • THP-1 Cells
  • Zebrafish
PubMed
40790109 Full text @ Nat. Commun.
Abstract
Treatments of Mycobacterium marinum, a common non-tuberculous mycobacterium associated with cutaneous infections are very challenging, emphasizing the development of new therapeutic approaches. Here we report the functionalization of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) with a series of triphenylphosphonium (TPP) substituents, which endowed them with affinity towards the surface of M. marinum in vitro, as well as within infected THP-1 cells. The presence of these nanoparticles at the bacterial surface prevents their uptake by human macrophages and dendritic cells. When loaded with doxycycline, the nanosystem exerts a potent anti-bacterial effect in planktonic cultures, biofilms, and in M. marinum-infected macrophages. Strikingly, in the M. marinum/zebrafish infection model, the doxycycline-loaded nanoparticles are associated with a pronounced decrease in the bacterial burden and a high embryo survival rate. These results disclose the proposed MSN nanosystems as a promising alternative for the treatment of M. marinum infection and, presumably, against a broader range of mycobacterial infections.
Genes / Markers
Figures
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping