A nanocomposite-mediated synergistic division inhibition strategy for selective antibacterial therapy against burn infections
Abstract
Nanomaterial-based antibacterial therapy presents an alternative solution to antibiotic resistance. However, most research focuses on enhancing antibacterial activity while neglecting the selectivity of nanomaterials, leading to indiscriminate damage to mammalian cells. Here, we design a synergistic boron nitride-polydopamine@MOF-199 nanocomposite (BPM NC) that interferes with bacterial binary fission. Its selectivity stems from suppressing FtsZ polymerization during bacterial division, while its high efficiency arises from synergistic mechanisms such as disrupting membrane potential and bacterial defense systems. These effects induce molecular-level disruptions in bacterial biological processes, enabling BPM NC (0.35 μg/mL) to rapidly inactivate bacteria (10 ⁷ CFU/mL) in 30 min—358-fold enhancement over its precursor h-BN. In burn infection models, BPM NC exhibits significant efficacy in male mice and female pigs, outperforming the clinical drug silver sulfadiazine. This work provides a promising insight into developing antibacterial nanomaterials that combine selectivity and high activity, offering a strategy for next-generation antibacterial therapies.
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BibTeX
@article{liu2026nanocompositemediated,
title = {{A nanocomposite-mediated synergistic division inhibition strategy for selective antibacterial therapy against burn infections}},
author = {Hao Liu and Zhixuan Yu and Ling Yang and Siyang Zhao and Tianzhi Li and Rui Li and Guanyu Ding and Ling Liu and Shaojun Dong},
journal = {Nature Communications},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1038/s41467-026-79027-1},
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-79027-1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A nanocomposite-mediated synergistic division inhibition strategy for selective antibacterial therapy against burn infections
AU - Hao Liu
AU - Zhixuan Yu
AU - Ling Yang
AU - Siyang Zhao
AU - Tianzhi Li
AU - Rui Li
AU - Guanyu Ding
AU - Ling Liu
AU - Shaojun Dong
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/29
JO - Nature Communications
DO - 10.1038/s41467-026-79027-1
UR - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-79027-1
AB - Nanomaterial-based antibacterial therapy presents an alternative solution to antibiotic resistance. However, most research focuses on enhancing antibacterial activity while neglecting the selectivity of nanomaterials, leading to indiscriminate damage to mammalian cells. Here, we design a synergistic boron nitride-polydopamine@MOF-199 nanocomposite (BPM NC) that interferes with bacterial binary fission. Its selectivity stems from suppressing FtsZ polymerization during bacterial division, while its high efficiency arises from synergistic mechanisms such as disrupting membrane potential and bacterial defense systems. These effects induce molecular-level disruptions in bacterial biological processes, enabling BPM NC (0.35 μg/mL) to rapidly inactivate bacteria (10 ⁷ CFU/mL) in 30 min—358-fold enhancement over its precursor h-BN. In burn infection models, BPM NC exhibits significant efficacy in male mice and female pigs, outperforming the clinical drug silver sulfadiazine. This work provides a promising insight into developing antibacterial nanomaterials that combine selectivity and high activity, offering a strategy for next-generation antibacterial therapies.
SN - 2041-1723
ER -