Photocatalytic Cu2WS4 Nanocrystals for Efficient Bacterial Killing and Biofilm Disruption

Heng Dong, Kaili Yang, Yu Zhang, Qiang Li, Weijun Xiu, Meng Ding, Jingyang Shan, Yongbin Mou

 

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have become both a worldwide problem and major hidden danger that threatens global public health. Currently, the abuse of antibiotics is a particularly serious problem, often leading to the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria and even “superbacteria”, such as Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus).1,2 Bacterial infections are very challenging to treat, as the actions and penetration of antibiotics are largely limited by the dormant lifestyle of bacteria and the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) matrix in bacterial biofilms.3,4 Bacterial biofilms with an EPS matrix can resist host immune defenses and induce persistent inflammation, thus allowing the bacteria to become highly resistant to traditional antibiotics.5 Ineffective treatment with traditional antibiotics not only causes the rapid emergence of drug-resistant S. aureus strains but could also result in the formation of S. aureus biofilms.6 Therefore, the development of a new strategy to inhibit S. aureus biofilm formation is urgently needed … read more