Rapid sterilisation and diabetic cutaneous regeneration using cascade bio-heterojunctions through glucose oxidase-primed therapy

Abstract

The cutaneous wound in diabetic patients frequently encounters intractable pathogenic infections due to the hyperglycemia micromilieu which is conducive to bacterial growth and multiplication. Despite the extensive clinical use of antibiotics to treat bacterial infections, the emergence of drug-resistant and super pathogens as well as the potential side effects of antibiotics have elicited alarming challenges to public health. To address this daunting concern, we devise and develop a photo-activated cascade bio-heterojunctions (C-bio-HJs) for rapid sterilization and diabetic cutaneous regeneration. In the designed C-bio-HJs, photo-generated electron-hole pairs of graphite-phase carbon nitride (g-C3N4) are effectively separated with the marriage of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), which achieves the augmented photodynamic antibacterial effect. Moreover, glucose oxidase (GOx) tethered on the bio-HJs catalyzes glucose into hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in diabetic wounds for starvation therapy. Furthermore, Mo4+ enables the catalysis of H2O2 into a highly effective hydroxyl radical (·OH) for chemodynamic-photothermal combined antibacterial therapy. Both in vitro and in vivo results authenticate the cascading antibacterial properties and skin regeneration-promoting effects of the C-bio-HJs, which provide a facile strategy to combat diabetic wound healing through the synergistic GOx-primed dynamic therapies.

Keywords

• Antibacterial therapy
• Bio-heterojunction
• g-C3N4
• Rapid sterilization
• Tissue regeneration