ROS generating BODIPY loaded nanoparticles for photodynamic eradication of biofilms

Charlotte Kromer; Karin Schwibbert; Sebastian Radunz; Dorothea Thiele; Peter Laux; Andreas Luch; Harald R Tschiche

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2023.1274715

ROS generating BODIPY loaded nanoparticles for photodynamic eradication of biofilms

Front Microbiol. 2023 Oct 12:14:1274715. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1274715. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Charlotte Kromer^{1

2}, Karin Schwibbert³, Sebastian Radunz⁴, Dorothea Thiele³, Peter Laux¹, Andreas Luch^{1

2}, Harald R Tschiche¹

Affiliations

¹ Department Chemicals and Product Safety, Product Materials and Nanotechnology, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, Germany.
² Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
³ Department Materials and the Environment, Biodeterioration and Reference Organisms, Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Berlin, Germany.
⁴ nanoPET Pharma GmbH, Berlin, Germany.

Abstract

Bacterial biofilms can pose a serious health risk to humans and are less susceptible to antibiotics and disinfection than planktonic bacteria. Here, a novel method for biofilm eradication based on antimicrobial photodynamic therapy utilizing a nanoparticle in conjunction with a BODIPY derivative as photosensitizer was developed. Reactive oxygen species are generated upon illumination with visible light and lead to a strong, controllable and persistent eradication of both planktonic bacteria and biofilms. One of the biggest challenges in biofilm eradication is the penetration of the antimicrobial agent into the biofilm and its matrix. A biocompatible hydrophilic nanoparticle was utilized as a delivery system for the hydrophobic BODIPY dye and enabled its accumulation within the biofilm. This key feature of delivering the antimicrobial agent to the site of action where it is activated resulted in effective eradication of all tested biofilms. Here, 3 bacterial species that commonly form clinically relevant pathogenic biofilms were selected: Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus mutans. The development of this antimicrobial photodynamic therapy tool for biofilm eradication takes a promising step towards new methods for the much needed treatment of pathogenic biofilms.

Keywords: BODIPY; aPDT; antimicrobials; biofilm; disinfection; nanoparticles; photodynamic therapy.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This research was funded by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, grant number: SFP 1322–721 and by the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing.