A Multifunctional Nanozyme with NADH Dehydrogenase-like Activity and Nitric Oxide Release Under Near Infrared Light Irradiation as an Efficient Therapeutic for Antimicrobial Resistance Infection and Wound Healing.

In recent years, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become one of the greatest threats to human health. There is an urgent need to develop new antibacterial agents to effectively treat AMR infection. Herein, a novel nanozyme platform {Cu, N-GQDs@Ru-NO} was prepared, where Cu, N-doped graphene quantum dots (Cu, N-GQDs) were covalently functionalized with a nitric oxide (NO) donor, ruthenium nitrosyl (Ru-NO). Under 808 nm near infrared (NIR) light irradiation, {Cu, N-GQDs@Ru-NO} demonstrated nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) dehydrogenase-like activity for photo-oxidizing NADH to NAD + , thus disrupting the redox balance in bacterial cells and resulting in bacterial death; meanwhile, the onsite NIR light-delivered NO effectively eradicated the methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacterial and biofilms, and promoted wound healing; furthermore, the nanozyme showed excellent photothermal effect that enhanced the antibacterial efficacy as well. With the combination of NADH dehydrogenase activity, photothermal therapy, and NO gas therapy, the Cu, N-GQDs@Ru-NO nanozyme displayed both in vitro and in vivo excellent efficacy for MRSA infection and biofilm eradication, which provides a new therapeutic modality for effectively treating MRSA inflammatory wounds. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.