Near-Infrared Light-Activatable Dual-Action Nanoparticle Combats the Established Biofilms of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Its Accompanying Inflammation

Clinically, inhibition of both bacterial infection and excessive inflammation is a crucial step for improved wound treatments. Herein, the fabrication of near-infrared-light (NIR)-activatable deoxyribonuclease (DNase)–carbon monoxide (CO)@mesoporous polydopamine nanoparticles (MPDA NPs) is demonstrated for efficient elimination of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) biofilms and the following anti-inflammatory activity. Specifically, thermosensitive CO-gas-releasing donors (CO releasing molecules, FeCO) are first encapsulated into MPDA NPs, followed by covalently immobilizing deoxyribonuclease I (DNase I) on the surfaces of MPDA NPs. DNase I can degrade the extracellular DNA in biofilms, which site specifically destroys the compactness of the biofilms. With NIR irradiation, DNase–CO@MPDA NPs display great photothermal ability, and further trigger on-demand delivery of bactericidal CO gas that can adequately permeate the impaired biofilms. Eventually, they achieve effective MRSA biofilm elimination in virtue of the synergistic effects of both DNase I participation and CO-gas-potentiated photothermal therapy. Importantly, the inflammatory responses of DNase–CO@MPDA NPs and NIR-treated wounds are simultaneously alleviated owing to the anti-inflammatory features of released CO. Finally, NIR-activatable DNase–CO@MPDA NPs accelerate the healing process of MRSA-biofilm-infected cutaneous wounds. Taken together, this phototherapeutic strategy displays great therapeutic potential in treating the formidable clinical problems caused by MRSA biofilms and the accompanying inflammation.