A robust ROS generation nanoplatform combating periodontitis via sonodynamic/chemodynamic combination therapy

Periodontitis is a popular bacteria-induced chronic disease with the absence of effective and noninvasive therapeutic strategies. Sonodynamic therapy (SDT), proved to be promising against infections of bacteria especially multidrug-resistant species by producing reactive oxygen species (ROS), has been considered as tremendous potential in antibacterial application for periodontitis treatment. However, the low quantum yield of ROS remains a significant challenge for SDT. In this study, a novel nano-sonosensitizer was prepared for robust ROS generation via growing TiO2 on dendritic large pore mesoporous silica nanoparticles (DLMSNs) followed by deposition of Ag (DT-Ag) and modifying with the quaternary ammonium chitosan (DT-Ag-CS+). In vitro antibacterial effects of DT-Ag-CS+ were investigated in porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) which is a well-recognized periodontal pathogenic bacterium, and in vivo anti-periodontitis effects were evaluated using Wistar rats with ligature-induced periodontitis. The obtained DT-Ag-CS+ exhibited excellent SDT and chemodynamic therapy (CDT) performances both in vitro and in vivo, owing to the deposition of noble metal Ag, and greater chance to penetrate into bacterial cells due to the highly positive-charged CS+ on the surface of DT-Ag. Altogether, a multifunctional DT-Ag-CS+ nano-sonosensitizer has shown promising clinical application for combining SDT and CDT against periodontitis.