Abstract
Resolution of bacterial infections is often hampered by both resistance to conventional antibiotic therapy and hiding of bacterial cells inside biofilms, warranting the development of innovative therapeutic strategies. Here, we report the efficacy of blue laser light in eradicating Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells, grown in planktonic state, agar plates and mature biofilms, both in vitro and in vivo, with minimal toxicity to mammalian cells and tissues. Results obtained using knock-out mutants point to oxidative stress as a relevant mechanism by which blue laser light exerts its anti-microbial effect. Finally, the therapeutic potential is confirmed in a mouse model of skin wound infection. Collectively, these data set blue laser phototherapy as an innovative approach to inhibit bacterial growth and biofilm formation, and thus as a realistic treatment option for superinfected wounds.
Highlights
The availability of antibiotics has revolutionized modern medicine and dramatically improved the survival of patients affected by bacterial infections, as well as the success of a wide range of interventions, including surgery, organ transplantation, and chemotherapy
At 60 J/cm[2] all tested protocols significantly inhibited bacterial growth up to 12 h (p < 0.0001 for protocols A,B,C-intermediate). This inhibition persisted 24 h in the case of protocol A (p < 0.0001 compared to increase in bacterial density observed at 24 h for protocol C, but significantly lower compared to untreated samples (Fig. 1c, p < 0.0001 for protocols A,B,C-high compared to CTRL at all time points, except for C-high at T24, p < 0.01)
While a few previous studies have in part investigated some aspects of this effect, this compares for the first time the efficacy of multiple protocols on bacterial biofilms in culture and in vivo, shedding light on the molecular mechanisms responsible for the observed antimicrobial activity
Summary
The availability of antibiotics has revolutionized modern medicine and dramatically improved the survival of patients affected by bacterial infections, as well as the success of a wide range of interventions, including surgery, organ transplantation, and chemotherapy. Both the overuse and misuse of these compounds has resulted in the massive spread of antibiotic resistance among common bacterial pathogens. Several nosocomial infections are caused by highly resistant bacteria, involving methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa These infections are aggressive in immunocompromised and oncological patients, negatively impacting on their prognosis.[3,4]
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