Ferric-loaded lipid nanoparticles inducing ferroptosis-like cell death for antibacterial wound healing

Abstract

Skin infection is a major health issue that usually is caused by the continuous proliferation of bacteria in wounds. With the abuse of antibiotics worldwide, the battle against skin infection is becoming more and more difficult. Therefore, the development of new ways with different antibacterial mechanisms to current antibiotics is urgently needed. Inspired by the powerful inhibition of ferroptosis used in cancer therapy, here in our study, ferric-loaded lipid nanoparticles (Fe-LNPs) with unform size (∼130 nm) and surface charge (∼12 mV) were constructed and found to effectively inhibit the growth of both Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus, <i>S. aureus</i>) and negative (Escherichia coli, <i>E. coli</i>) strains, possibly due to induction of ferroptosis-like cell death mechanisms. Most importantly, Fe-LNPs can also effectively inhibit the proliferation of <i>S. aureus</i> in a skin infection model and promote the healing of wounds. The Fe-LNPs can be applied as a powerful antibacterial formulation for future application in clinic.