DPA-Zn Induced Targeting and Photo-eliminating of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa and Drug-resistance Gram-positive Bacteria.

The emergence of drug-resistant bacteria, particularly resistant strains of Gram-negative bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, poses significant threat to public health. Although antibacterial photodynamic therapy (APDT) is a promising strategy for combating drug-resistant bacteria, actively targeted photosensitizers (PSs) remain unknown. In this study, a PS based on dipicolylamine (DPA), known as WZK-DPA-Zn, was designed for the selective identification of P. aeruginosa and drug-resistant Gram-positive bacteria. WZK-DPA-Zn exploited the synergistic effects of DPA-Zn 2+ coordination and cellular uptake, which could effectively anchor P. aeruginosa within a brief period (10 min) without interference from other Gram-negative bacteria. Simultaneously, the cationic nature of WZK-DPA-Zn enhanced its interaction with Gram-positive bacteria via electrostatic forces. Compared to traditional clinical antibiotics, WZK-DPA-Zn showed exceptional antibacterial activity without inducing drug resistance. This effectiveness was achieved using the APDT strategy when irradiated with white light or sunlight. The combination of WZK-DPA-Zn with Pluronic-based thermosensitive hydrogel dressings (WZK-DPA-Zn@Gel) effectively eliminated mixed bacterial infections and accelerated wound healing, thereby achieving a synergistic effect where 1+1>2″. In summary, this study proposes a precise strategy employing DPA-Zn as the targeting moiety of a PS, facilitating the rapid elimination of P. aeruginosa and drug-resistant Gram-positive bacteria using APDT. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.