Bugli F, Cacaci M, Palmieri V, Di Santo R, Torelli R, Ciasca G, Di Vito M, Vitali A, Conti C, Sanguinetti M, De Spirito M, Papi M
Microbiology Institute, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy.
Physics Institute, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy.
Interface Focus. 2018 Jun 6;8(3):20170059. doi: 10.1098/rsfs.2017.0059. Epub 2018 Apr 20.
Methicillin-resistant (MRSA) is responsible for serious hospital infections worldwide and represents a global public health problem. Curcumin, the major constituent of turmeric, is effective against MRSA but only at cytotoxic concentrations or in combination with antibiotics. The major issue in curcumin-based therapies is the poor solubility of this hydrophobic compound and the cytotoxicity at high doses. In this paper, we describe the efficacy of a composite nanoparticle made of curcumin (CU) and graphene oxide (GO), hereafter GOCU, in MRSA infection treatment. GO is a nanomaterial with a large surface area and high drug-loading capacity. GO has also antibacterial properties due mainly to a mechanical cutting of the bacterial membranes. For this physical mechanism of action, microorganisms are unlikely to develop resistance against this nanomaterial. In this work, we report the capacity of GO to support and stabilize curcumin molecules in a water environment and we demonstrate the efficacy of GOCU against MRSA at a concentration below 2 µg ml. Further, GOCU displays low toxicity on fibroblasts cells and avoids haemolysis of red blood cells. Our results indicate that GOCU is a promising nanomaterial against antibiotic-resistant MRSA.
耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌（MRSA）在全球范围内引发严重的医院感染，是一个全球性的公共卫生问题。姜黄素是姜黄的主要成分，对MRSA有效，但仅在细胞毒性浓度下或与抗生素联合使用时有效。基于姜黄素的治疗方法的主要问题是这种疏水性化合物的溶解度差以及高剂量时的细胞毒性。在本文中，我们描述了由姜黄素（CU）和氧化石墨烯（GO）制成的复合纳米颗粒（以下简称GOCU）在治疗MRSA感染方面的疗效。GO是一种具有大表面积和高载药量的纳米材料。GO还具有抗菌特性，主要是由于其对细菌膜的机械切割作用。基于这种物理作用机制，微生物不太可能对这种纳米材料产生抗性。在这项工作中，我们报告了GO在水环境中支持和稳定姜黄素分子的能力，并证明了GOCU在浓度低于2μg/ml时对MRSA的疗效。此外，GOCU对成纤维细胞显示出低毒性，并避免红细胞溶血。我们的结果表明，GOCU是一种有前景的抗抗生素耐药性MRSA的纳米材料。
