Photothermal Nanomedicine for Antibacterial Applications

Photothermal nanomedicine harnesses the ability of nanoscale materials to convert light, typically in the near-infrared region, into localised heat for targeted eradication of pathogenic bacteria. This interdisciplinary strategy addresses the global rise of multidrug-resistant infections and recalcitrant biofilms by disrupting bacterial cell membranes, enhancing permeability to antibiotics, and generating reactive species within microbial microenvironments. Advances in material engineering—encompassing metallic nanostructures, carbon-based platforms and polymer-derived carriers—have optimised photothermal conversion efficiency, biocompatibility and infection-targeting specificity. Multifunctional designs, such as thermoresponsive transporters, anisotropic gold nanorods and Janus particles, enable precise spatiotemporal control and synergistic integration with photodynamic therapy or enzyme-based biofilm degradation. In vivo demonstrations of accelerated wound healing and deep-tissue bacterial clearance under mild irradiation conditions underscore the clinical potential of this approach. Nevertheless, challenges remain in achieving uniform light penetration, minimising immunogenicity and scaling up production under regulatory standards. Future efforts will centre on refining modular nanoplatforms to balance safety, efficacy and manufacturability for translational success.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have introduced an asymmetric Janus nanoparticle comprising dextran and bismuth selenide domains that selectively binds to extracellular polymeric substances, enabling both passive biofilm dispersion and near-infrared triggered photothermal eradication of drug-resistant biofilms in vivo. Complementarily, a thermo-responsive triple-function nanotransporter has been developed in which mild heating under near-infrared irradiation induces a phase-change to release encapsulated antibiotic molecules and disrupt bacterial membranes, thereby potentiating conventional drugs against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. These modular nanoplatforms exemplify the integration of dynamic structural transformations and multimodal bactericidal mechanisms for enhanced therapeutic robustness against persistent bacterial infections.

Photothermal Nanomedicine for Antibacterial Applications publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in photothermal nanomedicine for antibacterial applications across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Photothermal conversion efficiency: The proportion of absorbed light energy that is converted into heat by a nanomaterial under irradiation.

Near-infrared (NIR) window: A spectral region (typically 700–1700 nm) where biological tissues exhibit reduced absorption and scattering, allowing deeper light penetration.

Biofilm: A structured community of microorganisms embedded in an extracellular polymeric substance matrix that confers protection against antibiotics and host defences.

Janus nanoparticle: A biphasic nanostructure with two distinct surface chemistries or compositions, enabling multifunctional behaviours in complex environments.

Aggregation-induced emission luminogen (AIEgen): A fluorescent molecule that becomes emissive upon aggregation, often utilised for imaging and photothermal applications in biological systems.

Photodynamic therapy: A treatment modality that employs light-activated photosensitisers to generate reactive oxygen species for microbial or cellular inactivation.

References

1. Janus nanoparticles targeting extracellular polymeric substance achieve flexible elimination of drug-resistant biofilms. Nature Communications (2023).
2. Thermo-responsive triple-function nanotransporter for efficient chemo-photothermal therapy of multidrug-resistant bacterial infection. Nature Communications (2019).
3. BODIPY‐Functionalized Natural Polymer Coatings for Multimodal Therapy of Drug‐Resistant Bacterial Infection. Advanced Science (2023).
4. NIR‐II emissive biohybrid nanovesicles as mild‐temperature photothermal antibiofilm agents against acute bacterial skin and skin‐structure infections. Interdisciplinary Medicine (2024).
5. Recent advances in targeted antibacterial therapy basing on nanomaterials. Exploration (2023).