A Photomodulable Bacteriophage‐Spike Nanozyme Enables Dually Enhanced Biofilm Penetration and Bacterial Capture for Photothermal‐Boosted Catalytic Therapy of MRSA Infections

Abstract

Abstract Nanozymes, featuring intrinsic biocatalytic effects and broad‐spectrum antimicrobial properties, are emerging as a novel antibiotic class. However, prevailing bactericidal nanozymes face a challenging dilemma between biofilm penetration and bacterial capture capacity, significantly impeding their antibacterial efficacy. Here, this work introduces a photomodulable bactericidal nanozyme (ICG@hMnOx), composed of a hollow virus‐spiky MnOx nanozyme integrated with indocyanine green, for dually enhanced biofilm penetration and bacterial capture for photothermal‐boosted catalytic therapy of bacterial infections. ICG@hMnOx demonstrates an exceptional capability to deeply penetrate biofilms, owing to its pronounced photothermal effect that disrupts the compact structure of biofilms. Simultaneously, the virus‐spiky surface significantly enhances the bacterial capture capacity of ICG@hMnOx. This surface acts as a membrane‐anchored generator of reactive oxygen species and a glutathione scavenger, facilitating localized photothermal‐boosted catalytic bacterial disinfection. Effective treatment of methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus‐associated biofilm infections is achieved using ICG@hMnOx, offering an appealing strategy to overcome the longstanding trade‐off between biofilm penetration and bacterial capture capacity in antibacterial nanozymes. This work presents a significant advancement in the development of nanozyme‐based therapies for combating biofilm‐related bacterial infections.

Keywords

• antibacterial therapy
• bacterial capture
• biofilm penetration
• nanozyme
• nature‐inspired nanostructures