Eskilson Olof, Wiman Emanuel, Reustle Nina, Langwagen Jakob, Sotra Zeljana, Svärd Anna, Selegård Robert, Baş Yağmur, Berglund Linn, Oksman Kristiina, Bengtsson Torbjörn, Junker Johan P E, Khalaf Hazem, Aili Daniel
Laboratory of Molecular Materials, Division of Biophysics and Bioengineering, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, Linköping SE-58183, Sweden.
Unit of Microbiology, Immunology and Reproductive Science, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro 703 62, Sweden.
ACS Sens. 2025 Jun 27;10(6):3953-3963. doi: 10.1021/acssensors.4c03428. Epub 2025 May 20.
Wound infections result in delayed healing, morbidity, and increased risks of sepsis. Early detection of wound infections can facilitate treatment and reduce the need for the excessive use of antibiotics. Proteases are normally active during the healing process but are overexpressed during infection as part of the inflammatory response. Proteases are also produced by the bacteria infecting the wounds, making proteases a highly relevant biomarker for infection monitoring. Here, we show a fluorescence turn-on sensor for real-time monitoring of protease activity in advanced nanocellulose wound dressings for rapid detection of wound pathogens. Colloidal gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were adsorbed on bacterial cellulose (BC) nanofibrils by using a carefully optimized self-assembly process. The AuNPs could either be homogeneously incorporated in BC dressings or 3D printed in wood-derived cellulose nanofiber (CNF) dressings using a BC-AuNP ink. The BC-adsorbed AuNPs were subsequently functionalized with fluorophore-labeled protease substrates. Cleavage of the substrates by proteases produced by the wound pathogens and resulted in a significant increase in fluorescence that correlated with the growth phase of the bacteria. Wound dressing with integrated sensors for the detection of proteolytic activity can enable the sensitive and rapid detection of infections, allowing for optimization of treatment and reducing the risks of complications.
伤口感染会导致愈合延迟、发病，并增加败血症风险。早期检测伤口感染有助于治疗，并减少过度使用抗生素的必要性。蛋白酶在愈合过程中通常具有活性，但在感染期间作为炎症反应的一部分会过度表达。感染伤口的细菌也会产生蛋白酶，这使得蛋白酶成为用于感染监测的高度相关生物标志物。在此，我们展示了一种用于实时监测高级纳米纤维素伤口敷料中蛋白酶活性的荧光开启传感器，用于快速检测伤口病原体。通过精心优化的自组装过程，将胶体金纳米颗粒（AuNPs）吸附在细菌纤维素（BC）纳米纤维上。AuNPs既可以均匀地掺入BC敷料中，也可以使用BC-AuNP墨水通过3D打印在木质纤维素纳米纤维（CNF）敷料中。随后，将吸附了AuNPs的BC用荧光团标记的蛋白酶底物进行功能化。伤口病原体产生的蛋白酶对底物的切割导致荧光显著增加，这与细菌的生长阶段相关。带有用于检测蛋白水解活性的集成传感器的伤口敷料能够灵敏且快速地检测感染，从而优化治疗并降低并发症风险。
