EPS9.08 Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy with Ru(II)-loaded polymer nanocarriers towards treatment of bacterial lung infections: Proof-of-concept using cystic fibrosis Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates

Abstract

Objectives: Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients suffer from severe chronic lung infections that are caused mainly by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. As this highly adaptable pathogen is increasingly resistant to antibiotics, the development of new antimicrobial treatments is of major interest. Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) combines the use of photosensitizers (PS) and light to locally generate reactive oxygen species, including singlet oxygen (1O2), at the infection site. In this work, ruthenium (II) PS complexes were incorporated into polymeric micelles and vesicles to overcome the limited solubility and stability of the neat complexes, and to facilitate their delivery through the highly viscous airway mucus. Further, on-demand bacterial enzyme-triggered release of PS should minimize lung tissue damage, while maximizing local bacterial killing efficiency.