Near-infrared-responsive Ag/CuO@PDA nanowire platform for photothermal-amplified chemodynamic/ion-synergistic antibacterial therapy and infected wound healing

Abstract

Biofilm-associated wound infections and antimicrobial resistance urgently require non-antibiotic therapies that integrate efficient antibacterial activity with tissue repair. Herein, we developed a sandwich-like trilayer Ag/CuO@PDA nanoplatform composed of one-dimensional CuO nanowires, Ag nanoparticles, and a polydopamine (PDA) photothermal shell. Under 980 nm near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, PDA-mediated local heating enhanced CuO-driven reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and significantly promoted Ag + /Cu 2+ release, as verified by ICP-MS analysis. Ag/CuO@PDA combined with NIR showed potent broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)and Escherichia coli (E. coli) and effectively disrupted mature biofilms by damaging bacterial membranes, increasing membrane permeability, and inducing intracellular component leakage. Meanwhile, the nanoplatform exhibited favorable cytocompatibility and supported wound-healing-related cellular behaviors, including cell migration and endothelial tube formation. In an Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) -infected wound model, Ag/CuO@PDA + NIR markedly reduced bacterial burden, alleviated inflammation, promoted collagen deposition and angiogenesis, and accelerated wound closure without obvious systemic toxicity. Overall, this trilayer nanoplatform integrates photothermal conversion, ROS generation, and metal ion-mediated antibacterial action, offering a promising non-antibiotic strategy for treating biofilm-associated infected wounds while promoting tissue repair.

Abstract of "Near-infrared-responsive Ag/CuO@PDA nanowire platform for photothermal-amplified chemodynamic/ion-synergistic antibacterial therapy and infected wound healing" by Sun S, Liu Y, Shi Y et al., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioadv.2026.215134, used under its Creative Commons Attribution license (CC-BY); markup removed, otherwise unmodified.