Cu-GA-coordination polymer nanozymes with triple enzymatic activity for wound disinfection and accelerated wound healing

Abstract

During the past few years, bacterial infection and oxidative stress have become important issues for wound healing. However, the emergence of numerous drug-resistant superbugs has had a serious impact on the treatment of infected wounds. Presently, the development of new nanomaterials has become one of the most important approaches to the treatment of drug-resistant bacterial infections. Herein, coordination polymer copper-gallic acid (Cu-GA) nanorods with multi-enzyme activity is successfully prepared for efficient wound treatment of bacterial infection, which can effectively promote wound healing. Cu-GA can be efficiently prepared by a simple solution method and had good physiological stability. Interestingly, Cu-GA shows enhanced multienzyme activity (peroxidase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase), which can produce a large number of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under acidic conditions while scavenging ROS under neutral conditions. In acidic environment, Cu-GA possesses POD (peroxidase)-like and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px)-like catalytic activities that is capable of killing bacteria; but in neutral environment, Cu-GA exhibits superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like catalytic activity that can scavenge ROS and promote wound healing. In vivo studies show that Cu-GA can promote wound infection healing and have good biosafety. Cu-GA contributes to the healing of infected wounds by inhibiting bacterial growth, scavenging reactive oxygen species, and promoting angiogenesis. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Cu-GA-coordinated polymer nanozymes with multienzyme activity were successfully prepared for efficient wound treatment of bacterial infection, which could effectively promote wound healing. Interestingly, Cu-GA exhibited enhanced multienzyme activity (peroxidase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase), which could produce a large number of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under acidic conditions and scavenge ROS under neutral conditions. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that Cu-GA was capable of killing bacteria, controlling inflammation, and promoting angiogenesis.

Keywords: Antibacterial therapy; Antioxidant; Nanozymes; Triple enzyme-like activities; Wound healing.