Sonodynamic and Photodynamic Therapies for Antimicrobial applications

Sonodynamic and photodynamic therapies harness physical energy—ultrasound or light—to activate chemical agents known as sensitizers, triggering in situ generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that selectively eradicate microbial pathogens. These modalities offer non-invasive, targeted approaches capable of penetrating deep tissues or biofilms, thereby overcoming major limitations of conventional antibiotics and mitigating the rise of drug resistance. By adjusting variables such as ultrasound frequency, light wavelength and sensitizer chemistry, treatments can be tailored to diverse clinical scenarios ranging from gastric infections to wound biofilms and implant-associated peri-implantitis. Recent advances in nanotechnology and biomaterials have further refined the delivery, localisation and oxygen-supplying capacity of sonosensitisers and photosensitisers, widening their therapeutic window and preserving host microbiota integrity. Ongoing research seeks to translate these approaches into robust, field-deployable platforms for global antimicrobial intervention.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have explored dual photo-sonodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy employing curcumin-decorated nanophytosomes activated by blue light and ultrasound. The formulation demonstrated potent inactivation of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans through combined physical and chemical effects: biofilm eradication exceeded 60 per cent, metabolic activity plunged by nearly 90 per cent and key virulence genes were downregulated by tenfold or more. This approach achieved high drug loading, stability and targeted release, suggesting a promising new avenue for managing periodontal pathogens while minimising off-target effects and antibiotic usage.

Sonodynamic and Photodynamic Therapies for Antimicrobial applications publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in sonodynamic and photodynamic therapies for antimicrobial applications across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Photodynamic therapy (PDT): treatment that uses light-activated sensitizers to generate ROS, causing oxidative damage to microbial cells.

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT): treatment employing ultrasound-activated sensitizers to produce ROS and cavitation effects for microbial inactivation.

Photosensitiser/Sonosensitiser: chemical agent or nanoparticle that releases ROS upon exposure to light or ultrasound, respectively.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS): highly reactive molecules such as singlet oxygen and free radicals that inflict oxidative damage on pathogens.

Biofilm: a structured microbial community embedded in a self-generated extracellular matrix that confers enhanced resistance to antimicrobials.

References

1. Attenuation of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans virulence using curcumin-decorated nanophytosomes-mediated photo-sonoantimicrobial chemotherapy. Scientific Reports (2021).
2. Gastric Acid‐Responsive ROS Nanogenerators for Effective Treatment of Helicobacter pylori Infection without Disrupting Homeostasis of Intestinal Flora. Advanced Science (2023).
3. Biomimetic Metal–Organic Framework Gated Nanoplatform for Sonodynamic Therapy against Extensively Drug Resistant Bacterial Lung Infection. Advanced Science (2024).
4. Antimicrobial activity of D-amino acid in combination with photo-sonoactivated hypericin nanoparticles against Acinetobacter baumannii. BMC Microbiology (2023).