Near-Infrared Light-Triggered Nitric-Oxide-Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy and Low-Temperature Photothermal Therapy for Biofilm Elimination

Photothermal treatment (PTT) involving a combination of therapeutic modalities recently emerged as an efficient alternative for combating biofilm. However, PTT-related local high temperature may destroy the surrounding healthy tissues. Herein, we present an all-in-one phototherapeutic nanoplatform consisting of l-arginine (l-Arg), indocyanine green (ICG), and mesoporous polydopamine (MPDA), namely, AI-MPDA, to eliminate the already-formed biofilm. The fabrication process included surface modification of MPDA with l-Arg and further adsorption of ICG via π–π stacking. Under near-infrared (NIR) exposure, AI-MPDA not only generated heat but also produced reactive oxygen species, causing a cascade catalysis of l-Arg to release nitric oxide (NO). Under NIR irradiation, biofilm elimination was attributed to the NO-enhanced photodynamic therapy and low-temperature PTT (≤45 °C). Notably, the NIR-triggered all-in-one strategy resulted in severe destruction of bacterial membranes. The phototherapeutic AI-MPDA also displayed good cytocompatibility. NIR-irradiated AI-MPDA nanoparticles not only prevented bacterial colonization but also realized a rapid recovery of infected wounds. More importantly, the all-in-one phototherapeutic platform displayed effective biofilm elimination with an efficiency of around 100% in a abscess formation model. Overall, this low-temperature phototherapeutic platform provides a reliable tool for combating already-formed biofilms in clinical applications.