title: Functionalised nanoparticles complexed with antibiotic efficiently kill MRSA and other bacteria.
abstract: Antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections are a vexing global health problem and have rendered ineffective many previously-used antibiotics. Here we demonstrate that antibiotic-linkage to surface-functionalized silica nanoparticles (sNP) significantly enhances their effectiveness against Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus, and even methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains that are resistant to most antibiotics. The commonly-used antibiotic penicillin-G (PenG) was complexed to dye-labeled sNPs (15 nm diameter) containing carboxyl groups located as either surface-functional groups, or on polymer-chains extending from surfaces. Both sNPs configurations efficiently killed bacteria, including MRSA strains. This suggests that activities of currently-ineffective antibiotics can be restored by nanoparticle-complexation and used to avert certain forms of antibiotic-resistance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yung Pin
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Kristen P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Brandon M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Cash
authors.forename: Shonda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Glenn
authors.forename: Brian C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Benicewicz
authors.forename: Alan W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Decho
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D010400:Penicillin G / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D011109:Polymethacrylic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002264:Carboxylic Acids; D004396:Coloring Agents; D011109:Polymethacrylic Acids; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; C068872:polybutyl methacrylate; D010400:Penicillin G