Kodakkat Shreehari, Mirihana Kalpani A, Penman Rowan, Kariuki Rashad, Valliant Pierre H A, Christofferson Andrew J, Bryant Gary, Bryant Saffron J, Walia Sumeet, Elbourne Aaron
School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia.
School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia.
J Colloid Interface Sci. 2025 Sep 15;694:137686. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2025.137686. Epub 2025 Apr 23.
Nanomaterials have gained significant attention due to their unique properties and potential applications in various biomedical fields, including immediate or targeted drug delivery for wound treatment, cancers, and microbial infections, as well as advancements in diagnostic techniques and tissue engineering. They can also penetrate biological barriers, such as lipid bilayers, offering potential for enhanced drug delivery systems. However, understanding nanomaterial-biomembrane interactions is critical to optimize their design for efficient and safe therapeutic applications. We hypothesize that liquid exfoliated black phosphorus (BP) disrupts lipid bilayers, leading to altered membrane integrity and dynamics, which could influence its potential as an antimicrobial agent or drug delivery vehicle.
To test this hypothesis, we investigated the interaction between BP flakes and 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) lipid bilayers using atomic force microscopy (AFM), force spectroscopy, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. AFM provided topographical and force measurements, while MD simulations offered atomistic insights into the interaction mechanisms.
AFM imaging and force measurements revealed significant destabilization of the lipid bilayer, with a reduction in rupture force by more than half upon interaction with BP flakes. MD simulations corroborated these results, showing penetration and disruption of the lipid bilayer by BP. These findings enhance our understanding of nanomaterial-membrane interactions and demonstrate BP's potential for developing advanced nanomaterial-based drug delivery systems and antimicrobial therapies.
纳米材料因其独特的性质以及在各种生物医学领域的潜在应用而备受关注，这些领域包括用于伤口治疗、癌症和微生物感染的即时或靶向药物递送，以及诊断技术和组织工程方面的进展。它们还能够穿透生物屏障，如脂质双层，为增强药物递送系统提供了潜力。然而，了解纳米材料与生物膜的相互作用对于优化其设计以实现高效且安全的治疗应用至关重要。我们假设液体剥离的黑磷（BP）会破坏脂质双层，导致膜完整性和动力学发生改变，这可能会影响其作为抗菌剂或药物递送载体的潜力。
为了验证这一假设，我们使用原子力显微镜（AFM）、力谱学和分子动力学（MD）模拟研究了BP薄片与1,2 - 二油酰 - sn - 甘油 - 3 - 磷酸胆碱（DOPC）脂质双层之间的相互作用。AFM提供了形貌和力的测量结果，而MD模拟则对相互作用机制提供了原子层面的见解。
AFM成像和力测量结果显示脂质双层出现了显著的不稳定，与BP薄片相互作用后破裂力降低了一半以上。MD模拟证实了这些结果，表明BP能够穿透并破坏脂质双层。这些发现加深了我们对纳米材料与膜相互作用的理解，并证明了BP在开发先进的基于纳米材料的药物递送系统和抗菌疗法方面的潜力。
