Highly efficient photothermal branched Au–Ag nanoparticles containing procyanidins for synergistic antibacterial and anti-inflammatory immunotherapy

Abstract

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease caused by bacterial infection. Excessive immune response and high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) further lead to the irreversible destruction of surrounding tissues. Developing new antimicrobial materials that regulate the immune system to resist inflammation can effectively treat periodontal inflammation. A nanoplatform integrating Ag⁺, photothermal therapy (PTT), and procyanidins (PC) for precision antibacterial and synergistic immunotherapy for periodontitis was proposed. This work loaded PC into AuAg nanoparticles, and the resulting nanocomposite was named AuAg-PC. PTT can effectively remove pathogenic bacteria, but high temperatures can cause tissue damage. Ag⁺ contributes to the preparation of a nanoparticle branched structure that improves the photothermal efficiency and helps PTT achieve an excellent antibacterial effect and avoid periodontal tissue damage. PC regulates host immunity by eliminating intracellular ROS, inhibiting inflammatory factors, and regulating macrophage polarisation in periodontal disease sites. It enhances the host's resistance to bacterial inflammation. AuAg-PC exerted an excellent anti-inflammatory effect and promoted tissue repair in animal periodontal inflammation models. Hence, AuAg-PC significantly combats periodontal pathogens and shows great application potential in the photothermal-assisted immunotherapy of periodontitis. This design provided a new controllable and efficient treatment platform for controlling persistent inflammation infection and regulating immunity.