Sonodynamic therapy exciting the herbal nanocomposite with spider-web-like effect to combat otitis media.

Otitis media, mainly caused by bacteria, is prevalent in young children and can cause hearing loss and growth retardation. Antibiotics are the most widely utilized treatment for otitis media, however, they can cause drug resistance and harmful side effects. In this study, we reported an antibacterial nanocomposite in combination with sonodynamic therapy that consists of herbal antibacterial agents such as Curcumin (CUR) and Tanshinone IIA (TSIIA), as well as Chitosan (CS), for the treatment of acute otitis media. CUR/TSIIA/CS nanocomposite (NC) with ultrasonic irradiation demonstrated that it could eliminate Staphylococcus aureus. In vivo experiments revealed that NC-mediated sonodynamic therapy had excellent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity, displaying a consistent performance comparable to ofloxacin. The therapeutic efficiency was attributed to capturing bacteria through spider-web-like effect and destroying bacteria through the reactive oxygen species generated under ultrasonic irradiation. Significantly, NC did not induce bacterial resistance and showed good biocompatibility. This study provides a novel strategy to develop an ultrasound-assisted nanocomposite with an enhanced antibacterial effect. Further, it unlocks new doors for the substitute of antibiotics to combat otitis media by establishing efficient therapeutic systems.

A Tanshinone IIA loaded hybrid nanocomposite with enhanced therapeutic effect for otitis media.

Otitis media, commonly known as middle ear inflammation, is among one of the most common maladies and results in significant morbidity such as loss of hearing. In view of the bacteria invasion such as Staphylococcus aureus causes the majority forms of otitis media, drug treatment generally uses antibacterial by topical or systematic approach. However, the effectiveness of antibacterial is diminishing because of the rapid emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. Here, we designed and fabricated a silver nanoparticle (AgNPs)-based multicomponent hybrid nanocomposite termed as TSIIA @ CS/Lys @ AgNPs, which was comprised of a AgNPs core, a chitosan (CS) or lysozyme (Lys) middle layer, and a Tanshinone IIA (TSIIA) inclusion outlayer. Coating of CS or Lys to AgNPs through electrostatic interaction probably produced a core-shell nanocomplex resembling the endocarp of walnut. This design could reduce the dosage of AgNPs while maintaining antibacterial activity possibly due to the favorable interactions between nanocomplex and bacteria. The deposition of Chinese herb active component TSIIA by inclusion complexation formed the out layer of hybrid nanocomposite towards an improved antibacterial performance, which showed a therapeutic effect against acute otitis media of guinea pig comparable to the clinical commercial-used ofloxacin administrated by injection. The hybrid nanocomposite, when dispersed in poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid)/N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (PLGA/NMP) solution as an in-situ organogel, not only maintained the therapeutic effectiveness, but also possessed the advantage of lower injection frequency compared with solution formulation. In addition, no obvious toxicity to the basilar membrane and epithelia tissue was observed after the healthy guinea pigs were treated with hybrid nanocomposite or organogel. This study provides a promising strategy to develop hybrid nanocomposite with enhanced antibacterial efficacy and also opens a new way for the establishment of efficient therapeutic systems with reduced administration frequency as substitute of antibiotics to treat otitis media.

Dimension-shifting multifunctional biocompatible nanocomposites.

A facile method to prepare dimension-shifting biocompatible multifunctional nanocomposites is described. The design is based on magnetic - and electrostatic - induced transitions from the dispersed state to the assembled state of zero-dimensional nanoparticles, resulting in dimension conversion.