Lipid Liquid Crystal Nanoparticles: Promising Photosensitizer Carriers for the Treatment of Infected Cutaneous Wounds

• Main Authors: Muhammed Awad (Author), Zlatko Kopecki (Author), Timothy J. Barnes (Author), Anthony Wignall (Author), Paul Joyce (Author), Nicky Thomas (Author), Clive A. Prestidge (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: MDPI AG, 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15020305; 1999-4923
• Keywords: chronic wounds; antimicrobial; photodynamic therapy; liquid crystal nanoparticles; Pharmacy and materia medica; RS1-441
• Source: Pharmaceutics, Vol 15, Iss 2, p 305 (2023)

Cutaneous chronic wounds impose a silent pandemic that affects the lives of millions worldwide. The delayed healing process is usually complicated by opportunistic bacteria that infect wounds. <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> is one of the most prevalent bacteria in infected cutaneous wounds, with the ability to form antibiotic-resistant biofilms. Recently, we have demonstrated the potential of gallium protoporphyrin lipid liquid crystalline nanoparticles (GaPP-LCNP) as a photosensitizer against <i>S. aureus</i> biofilms in vitro. Herein, we investigate the potential of GaPP-LCNP using a pre-clinical model of infected cutaneous wounds. GaPP-LCNP showed superior antibacterial activity compared to unformulated GaPP, reducing biofilm bacterial viability by 5.5 log₁₀ compared to 2.5 log₁₀ in an ex vivo model, and reducing bacterial viability by 1 log₁₀ in vivo, while unformulated GaPP failed to reduce bacterial burden. Furthermore, GaPP-LCNP significantly promoted wound healing through reduction in the bacterial burden and improved early collagen deposition. These findings pave the way for future pre-clinical investigation and treatment optimizations to translate GaPP-LCNP towards clinical application.