Near-infrared light-propelled biodegradable nanorobots overcome biofilm barriers for multidrug-resistant infection therapy

  • J Colloid Interface Sci. 2026 Sep 15:718:140481. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2026.140481.
Shihao Bai  1 ,  Wenli Wu  2 ,  Aomen Chen  2 ,  Chen Xu  1 ,  Tianxiang Chen  1 ,  Xuehua Ma  1 ,  Changyong Gao  3 ,  Aiguo Wu  4
Affiliations
  • 1. Ningbo Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging Probe Materials and Technology, Zhejiang International Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials Technology and Application, Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials at Ningbo Cixi Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory of Advanced Theranostic Materials and Technology, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
  • 2. Ningbo Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging Probe Materials and Technology, Zhejiang International Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials Technology and Application, Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials at Ningbo Cixi Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory of Advanced Theranostic Materials and Technology, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China.
  • 3. Ningbo Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging Probe Materials and Technology, Zhejiang International Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials Technology and Application, Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials at Ningbo Cixi Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory of Advanced Theranostic Materials and Technology, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 4. Ningbo Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging Probe Materials and Technology, Zhejiang International Cooperation Base of Biomedical Materials Technology and Application, Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials at Ningbo Cixi Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory of Advanced Theranostic Materials and Technology, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 41967375 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2026.140481
Abstract

Overcoming the dense extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) matrix barriers is a major challenge in the therapy of biofilm-associated infections. Here, we report a nanorobot-based therapeutic strategy that integrates deep biofilm penetration with antimicrobial peptides (AMPs)-mediated membrane disruption, enabling efficient eradication of multidrug-resistant biofilms. Under near-infrared (NIR) light actuation, the Janus gold-mesoporous organosilicon nanorobots actively penetrate biofilms via self-thermophoretic propulsion. Upon penetration into the deep biofilm regions, the sulfur-bridged organosilicon framework of the nanorobots undergoes thiol-assisted cleavage, triggering the environment-dependent release of the encapsulated gramicidin (Gr). In a murine model of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) biofilm-infected wounds, this multi-responsive nanorobot system markedly enhances antibiofilm efficacy and achieves >95% wound closure with pronounced tissue remodeling, highlighting its considerable potential for the treatment of biofilm-associated infections.

Keywords
Antimicrobial peptide; Biofilm penetration; Multidrug-resistant infections; NIR-propulsion; Nanorobot.
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