title: Antimicrobial chitosan nanodroplets: new insights for ultrasound-mediated adjuvant treatment of skin infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic wounds, characterized by hypoxia, inflammation and impaired tissue remodeling, are often worsened by bacterial/fungal infections. Intriguingly, chitosan-shelled/decafluoropentane-cored oxygen-loaded nanodroplets (OLNs) have proven effective in delivering oxygen to hypoxic tissues.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present work aimed at investigating nanodroplet antimicrobial properties against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or Candida albicans, toxicity on human keratinocytes (HaCaT) and ultrasound (US)-triggered transdermal delivery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nanodroplet antibacterial/antifungal properties, human cytotoxicity, and US-triggered transdermal delivery were measured through microbiological, biochemical, and sonophoresis assays, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  OLNs and oxygen-free nanodroplets (OFNs) displayed short- or long-term cytostatic activity against MRSA or Candida albicans, respectively. OLNs were not toxic to keratinocytes, whereas OFNs slightly affected cell viability. Complementary US treatment promoted OLN transdermal delivery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As such, US-activated chitosan-shelled OLNs appear as promising, nonconventional and innovative tools for adjuvant treatment of infected chronic wounds.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze della Sanità Pubblica e Pediatriche, Università di Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuliana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Banche
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze della Sanità Pubblica e Pediatriche, Università di Torino, Torino, Italy.|Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università di Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prato
authors.affiliation: Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica (INRIM), Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Magnetto
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze della Sanità Pubblica e Pediatriche, Università di Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Allizond
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Oncologia, Università di Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuliana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giribaldi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienza e Tecnologia del Farmaco, Università di Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Argenziano
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università di Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Amina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khadjavi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Oncologia, Università di Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia Rossana
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Gulino
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Oncologia, Università di Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Finesso
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze della Sanità Pubblica e Pediatriche, Università di Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Narcisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mandras
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze della Sanità Pubblica e Pediatriche, Università di Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Vivian
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tullio
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienza e Tecnologia del Farmaco, Università di Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cavalli
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università di Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guiot
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze della Sanità Pubblica e Pediatriche, Università di Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cuffini
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D002175:Candida / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D048271:Chitosan / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000382:microbiology*; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D048271:Chitosan
keywords: Candida albicans; MRSA; chitosan; nanodroplet; oxygen; skin