Silver-decorated lysozyme-hemin nanocomposite loaded into thermosensitive hydrogel for on-demand management of MRSA-infected wounds

The effectiveness of antibiotic treatment for bacterial-infected wounds has been greatly hampered by the increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) caused by improper antibiotic use. It is thereby demanding for the deployment of antibiotic-free and on-demand therapeutic strategies, such as chemodynamic therapy (CDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT). Here, via a desolvation method, L ysozyme- H emin nanocomposite was firstly prepared and further decorated by S ilver nanoparticles to form LHS NPs, which was then incorporated into a thermosensitive hydrogel. The LHS NPs demonstrated remarkable peroxidase-like activity and photothermal effect, with a specific activity of 2.59 U/mg and a photothermal conversion efficiency of 53.89 %. Consequently, it was found that the formed LHS NPs exhibited superior antibacterial activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria without the using of antibiotics. Moreover, through the optimization of nanozymes and hydrogels, the obtained nanozyme-hydrogel composite could adhere to wound sites of various shapes within 2 min upon NIR irradiation, enabling the on-demand wound treatment. Notably, in a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ( MRSA )-infected wound model, the nanocomposite demonstrated excellent antibacterial activity and greatly sped up wound healing. Therefore, the LHS nanoparticles-loaded thermosensitive hydrogel as an integrated CDT/PTT therapeutic nanoplatform holds enormous potential in combating drug-resistant bacteria towards the complex infected wounds management.