Vision redemption: Self-reporting AIEgens for combined treatment of bacterial keratitis

Chen Peng; Wenjie Sun; Chengcheng Zhou; Sujing Qiang; Meijuan Jiang; Jacky W Y Lam; Zheng Zhao; Ryan T K Kwok; Wenting Cai; Ben Zhong Tang

doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.121227

Vision redemption: Self-reporting AIEgens for combined treatment of bacterial keratitis

Biomaterials. 2021 Dec:279:121227. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.121227. Epub 2021 Oct 22.

Authors

Chen Peng¹, Wenjie Sun², Chengcheng Zhou³, Sujing Qiang⁴, Meijuan Jiang⁵, Jacky W Y Lam⁵, Zheng Zhao⁶, Ryan T K Kwok⁵, Wenting Cai⁷, Ben Zhong Tang⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, Division of Life Science and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China; Department of Radiology, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201508, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Institute of Advanced Materials for Nano-Bio Applications, School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, School of Biomedical Engineering, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China. Electronic address: wenjie@wmu.edu.cn.
³ School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225002, China.
⁴ Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China.
⁵ Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, Division of Life Science and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China.
⁶ Shenzhen Institute of Molecular Aggregate Science and Engineering, School of Science and Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, 518172, China.
⁷ Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China. Electronic address: caiwentingtj@alumni.tongji.edu.cn.
⁸ Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, Division of Life Science and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China; Shenzhen Institute of Molecular Aggregate Science and Engineering, School of Science and Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, 518172, China. Electronic address: tangbenz@cuhk.edu.cn.

PMID: 34736151
DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.121227

Abstract

Bacterial keratitis (BK) is one of the most commonly leading causes of visual impairment and blindness worldwide, and suffers the risk of drug-resistant infections due to the abuse of antibiotics. Herein, we report a cationic diphenyl luminogen with aggregation-induced emission called IQ-Cm containing isoquinolinium and coumarin units for theranostic study of BK. IQ-Cm has no obvious cytotoxicity to mammalian cells below a certain concentration, and could preferentially bind to bacteria over mammalian cells. IQ-Cm can be used as a sensitive self-reporting probe to rapidly discriminate live and dead bacteria by the visual emission colors. The intrinsic dark toxicity to bacteria and generation of reactive oxygen species under light irradiation endow IQ-Cm with excellent antibacterial activity in vitro and in BK rabbit models infected with S. aureus. The present study provides a sensitive and efficient theranostic strategy for rapid discrimination of various bacterial states and the combined treatment of BK based on the intrinsic dark antibacterial activity and photodynamic therapy effect.

Keywords: Aggregation-induced emission; Bacteria killing; Keratitis treatment; Photodynamic therapy; Self-reporting.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
Bacteria
Keratitis* / drug therapy
Photochemotherapy*
Rabbits
Staphylococcus aureus

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents