Multifunctional Parachute-like Nanomotors for Enhanced Skin Penetration and Synergistic Antifungal Therapy

Abstract

Fungal infections in skin are extremely stubborn and seriously threaten human health. In the process of antifungal treatment, it is a huge challenge that the stratum corneum of the skin and fungal biofilms form the drug transport barrier. Herein, a near-infrared (NIR) laser-propelled parachute-like nanomotor loaded with miconazole nitrate (PNM-MN) is fabricated to enhance transdermal drug delivery for synergistic antifungal therapy. Due to asymmetrically spatial distribution, PNM can generate a thermal gradient under NIR laser irradiation, thereby forming effective self-thermophoretic propulsion. The self-propulsion and photothermal effect of PNM play a major role in promoting fungal uptake and biofilm adhesion. Moreover, under laser irradiation, PNM-MN can obliterate plankton Candida albicans and mature biofilms by combining pharmacological therapy and photothermal therapy. More importantly, the drug effectively penetrated the skin to reach the infected site using the nanomotor with NIR laser irradiation. Moreover, PNM-MN with a NIR laser can eradicate fungal infections caused by C. albicans and facilitate the abscess ablation, showing a therapeutic effect in vivo better than that of PNM with a NIR laser or free MN groups, with negligible histological toxicity. Taken together, NIR laser-propelled PNM-MN, as an antifungal nanoagent, provides a promising strategy for transdermal delivery and antifungal therapy.

CaCO3-based carriers with prolonged release properties for antifungal drug delivery to hair follicles

“…10 In general, successful topical drug preparation should provide effective accumulation in the skin and maintain local therapeutic concentration at the lesion site. 11,12 Moreover, it is important to adjust the release rate of drugs in order to achieve prolonged pharmacological effect. 13 In spite of the fact that topical antimycotics cover a broad range of therapeutic substances, they are generally highly lipophilic and poorly water-soluble; therefore, they are frequently retained inside the lipidic stratum corneum.…”

Biological chemotaxis-guided self-thermophoretic nanoplatform augments colorectal cancer therapy through autonomous mucus penetration

“…Among them, near-infrared (NIR) laser–propelled nanomotors has broad application prospects on complex physiological barrier penetration because of the characteristics of fuel-free and stable motion performance ( 15 , 16 ). Ji et al ( 17 ) reported that the penetration efficiency of nanomotors to the stratum corneum of the skin was 2.5 times higher than that of passive diffusion nanoparticles. The remarkable motility characteristic of nanomotors offers great opportunities for the penetration of intestinal mucus barrier.…”

Micro‐/Nanorobots in Antimicrobial Applications: Recent Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities

“…[ 148 ] Recently, Ji and co‐workers fabricated a NIR‐propelled parachute‐like nanomotor loaded with miconazole nitrate (PNM‐MN) for synergistic treatment of Candida albicans biofilm in vivo ( Figure A). [ 25 ] The NIR propulsion of PNM‐MN is derived from self‐thermophoresis subjected to a temperature gradient, which effectively enhances its penetration into the skin. The combination of pharmacological and photothermal effects resulted in synergistic antifungal therapy in C. albicans infected mice.…”

“…Reproduced with permission. [ 25 ] Copyright 2021, American Chemical Society. B) Magnetic photodynamic nanoplatforms for the treatment of periodontal disease.…”

“…[ 22,23 ] The integration of the directed transportation capability and therapeutic agent loading bridges the gap between microrobotics and nanomedicine, and this efficient strategy has been unitized to treat bacterial infections. Many bactericidal micro‐/nanobots have been reported, with diverse structural designs [ 24–26 ] and actuation modes. [ 27–29 ] locomotion is the fundamental behavior of MNRs and is also critical for task execution.…”