We report a novel approach to selectively delivering antimicrobials to the sites of bacterial infections, in which bacterial toxins are utilized to trigger antimicrobial release from nanoparticle-stabilized liposomes for inhibiting the growth of the toxin-secreting bacteria. The binding of chitosan-modified gold nanoparticles to the surface of liposomes can effectively prevent them from undesirable payload release at regular storage or in physiological environments. However, once these protected liposomes �see� bacteria that secrete toxins, the toxins will insert into the liposome membranes and form pores, through which the encapsulated drugs are released. The released drugs subsequently impose antimicrobial effects on the toxin-secreting bacteria. Using methicillin-resistant Staphycoccus aureus (MRSA) as a model bacterium and vacomycin as a model drug, we demonstrate that the nanoparticle-stabilized liposomes can completely release the encapsulated vacomycin within 24h in the presence of MRSA bacteria and lead to inhibition of MRSA growth as effective as an equal amount of free vacomycin.

Bacterial toxin-triggered release of antimicrobials for the treatment of bacterial infections

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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