Antisense Oligonucleotides Selectively Enter Human-derived Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria through bacterial-specific ATP-binding Cassette Sugar Transporter.

Current vehicles used to deliver antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) cannot distinguish between bacterial and mammalian cells, greatly hindering the preclinical or clinical treatment of bacterial infections, especially those caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Herein, we leverage the bacteria-specific ATP-binding cassette (ABC) sugar transporters to selectively internalize ASOs by hitchhiking them on α (1-4)-glucosidically linked glucose polymers. Compared with their cell-penetrating peptide counterparts, which are non-specifically engulfed by mammalian and bacterial cells, the presented therapeutics consisting of glucose polymer and antisense peptide nucleic acid-modified nanoparticles are selectively internalized into the human-derived multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and they display a much higher uptake rate (i.e., 51.6%). The developed strategy allows specific and efficient killing of nearly 100% of the antibiotic-resistant bacteria. We also show its significant curative efficacy against bacterial keratitis and endophthalmitis. This strategy will expand the focus of antisense technology to include bacterial cells other than mammalian cells. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.