AUTHOR=Lu Chunbo , Lu Wenhui , Qin Xiantao , Liang Shuyi , Niu Congmin , Guo Jiayi , Xu Yujie 

TITLE=Hydrogen sulfide-sensitive Chitosan-SS-Levofloxacin micelles with a high drug content: Facile synthesis and targeted Salmonella infection therapy

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1088153

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2022.1088153

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>The delivery system of antibiotics plays an important role in increasing the drug efficacy and reducing the risks of off-target toxicities and antibiotic resistance. The pathophysiology of bacterial infections is similar to that of tumor tissues, but only a few delivery systems have been able to target and release antibiotics on demand. Herein, we designed and developed a robust Chitosan-SS-Levofloxacin (CS-SS-LF) micelles for targeted antibiotic delivery, in which disulfide bond can be reduced by hydrogen sulfide (H<sub>2</sub>S), a typical product of <italic>Salmonella</italic>, and subsequently released antibiotic to eradicate <italic>Salmonella</italic> infection. CS-SS-LF micelles showed uniform size and sharp response to H<sub>2</sub>S. Compared with levofloxacin alone, these micelles possessed a better capacity in disrupting <italic>Salmonella</italic> biofilms and reducing bacterial burden in organs. The H2S-sensitive CS-SS-LF micelles might enable a new way to address bacterial infections.</p>