Mucosomes as next-generation drug carriers for treating mucus-resident bacterial infections and biofilms
Abstract Deaths connected to bacterial infections are expected to outnumber those caused by cancer by 2050. Multiple advantages, including enhanced efficacy of the treatment, characterize the use of nanocarriers to deliver antibiotics. This work explores the use of mucosomes – intrinsically glycosyl...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-10496-y |
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| author | Giuseppe Guagliano Emanuela Peluso Cosmin Stefan Butnarasu Elisa Restivo Lorenzo Sardelli Enrica Frasca Paola Petrini Nicola Tirelli Stefania Sganga Livia Visai Sonja Visentin |
| author_facet | Giuseppe Guagliano Emanuela Peluso Cosmin Stefan Butnarasu Elisa Restivo Lorenzo Sardelli Enrica Frasca Paola Petrini Nicola Tirelli Stefania Sganga Livia Visai Sonja Visentin |
| author_sort | Giuseppe Guagliano |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Deaths connected to bacterial infections are expected to outnumber those caused by cancer by 2050. Multiple advantages, including enhanced efficacy of the treatment, characterize the use of nanocarriers to deliver antibiotics. This work explores the use of mucosomes – intrinsically glycosylated mucin nanoparticles – to deliver ciprofloxacin to fight Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus infections. Mucins are a family of glycoproteins representing the major non-aqueous component of human mucus and are known for actively interacting with bacteria, reducing their virulence, and limiting their aggregations. This study shows that these critical properties of mucin are preserved in mucosomes, enabling a strong synergy with the loaded antimicrobial drug. Empty mucosomes exert a bacteriostatic activity, inhibiting bacterial growth up to 70%. Ciprofloxacin-loaded mucosomes were able to decrease the minimum inhibitory concentration of ciprofloxacin against S. aureus by up to 50%. Mucosomes could prevent biofilm formation and disassemble well-established biofilms by reducing the biomass by up to 98%. Mucosomes further facilitated the transmucosal delivery of ciprofloxacin in a 3D mucus-mimicking model. These results, together with the possibility of freeze-drying and storing drug-loaded mucosomes without impairing their efficacy, suggest the suitability of this approach to tackle mucosal bacterial infections. Interestingly, this nanosystem has been shown to enhance the phagocytic action of blood in eradicating bacterial biofilms. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-49a608991d9943a9a941bc0b144fd90c |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-49a608991d9943a9a941bc0b144fd90c2025-08-20T03:05:22ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115112210.1038/s41598-025-10496-yMucosomes as next-generation drug carriers for treating mucus-resident bacterial infections and biofilmsGiuseppe Guagliano0Emanuela Peluso1Cosmin Stefan Butnarasu2Elisa Restivo3Lorenzo Sardelli4Enrica Frasca5Paola Petrini6Nicola Tirelli7Stefania Sganga8Livia Visai9Sonja Visentin10Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of TorinoMolecular Medicine Department (DMM), Operative Unit (OU) Interuniversity Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching and Research (Centro 3R), Centre for Health Technologies (CHT), Unità di Ricerca (UdR) INSTM, University of PaviaInstitute of Pharmacy Biopharmaceuticals, SupraFAB, Freie Universität BerlinMolecular Medicine Department (DMM), Operative Unit (OU) Interuniversity Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching and Research (Centro 3R), Centre for Health Technologies (CHT), Unità di Ricerca (UdR) INSTM, University of PaviaDepartment of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of TorinoDepartment of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of TorinoBioAvatar Lab, Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical Engineering “G. Natta”, Politecnico di MilanoLaboratory of Polymers and Biomaterials, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di TecnologiaLaboratory of Polymers and Biomaterials, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di TecnologiaMolecular Medicine Department (DMM), Operative Unit (OU) Interuniversity Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching and Research (Centro 3R), Centre for Health Technologies (CHT), Unità di Ricerca (UdR) INSTM, University of PaviaDepartment of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of TorinoAbstract Deaths connected to bacterial infections are expected to outnumber those caused by cancer by 2050. Multiple advantages, including enhanced efficacy of the treatment, characterize the use of nanocarriers to deliver antibiotics. This work explores the use of mucosomes – intrinsically glycosylated mucin nanoparticles – to deliver ciprofloxacin to fight Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus infections. Mucins are a family of glycoproteins representing the major non-aqueous component of human mucus and are known for actively interacting with bacteria, reducing their virulence, and limiting their aggregations. This study shows that these critical properties of mucin are preserved in mucosomes, enabling a strong synergy with the loaded antimicrobial drug. Empty mucosomes exert a bacteriostatic activity, inhibiting bacterial growth up to 70%. Ciprofloxacin-loaded mucosomes were able to decrease the minimum inhibitory concentration of ciprofloxacin against S. aureus by up to 50%. Mucosomes could prevent biofilm formation and disassemble well-established biofilms by reducing the biomass by up to 98%. Mucosomes further facilitated the transmucosal delivery of ciprofloxacin in a 3D mucus-mimicking model. These results, together with the possibility of freeze-drying and storing drug-loaded mucosomes without impairing their efficacy, suggest the suitability of this approach to tackle mucosal bacterial infections. Interestingly, this nanosystem has been shown to enhance the phagocytic action of blood in eradicating bacterial biofilms.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-10496-yMucinMucosaInfectionsDrug deliveryCiprofloxacinNanoparticles |
| spellingShingle | Giuseppe Guagliano Emanuela Peluso Cosmin Stefan Butnarasu Elisa Restivo Lorenzo Sardelli Enrica Frasca Paola Petrini Nicola Tirelli Stefania Sganga Livia Visai Sonja Visentin Mucosomes as next-generation drug carriers for treating mucus-resident bacterial infections and biofilms Scientific Reports Mucin Mucosa Infections Drug delivery Ciprofloxacin Nanoparticles |
| title | Mucosomes as next-generation drug carriers for treating mucus-resident bacterial infections and biofilms |
| title_full | Mucosomes as next-generation drug carriers for treating mucus-resident bacterial infections and biofilms |
| title_fullStr | Mucosomes as next-generation drug carriers for treating mucus-resident bacterial infections and biofilms |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mucosomes as next-generation drug carriers for treating mucus-resident bacterial infections and biofilms |
| title_short | Mucosomes as next-generation drug carriers for treating mucus-resident bacterial infections and biofilms |
| title_sort | mucosomes as next generation drug carriers for treating mucus resident bacterial infections and biofilms |
| topic | Mucin Mucosa Infections Drug delivery Ciprofloxacin Nanoparticles |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-10496-y |
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