NIR-responsive MoS2–Cu2WS4 nanosheets for catalytic/photothermal therapy of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections

Abstract

The extensive usage of antibiotics causes the rapid evolution of drug-resistant bacteria, which seriously threaten human health. Thus, efficient strategies for treating drug-resistant bacterial infections are urgently needed. Herein, MoS₂–Cu₂WS₄ nanosheets (MS–CWS NSs) are prepared as a near-infrared (NIR) light responsive nanozyme to effectively combat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections by catalytic/photothermal effects. By integrating oxidase (OXD)- and peroxidase (POD)-mimic catalytic activity, MS–CWS NSs have the ability to inactivate MRSA without the addition of H₂O₂. Moreover, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced from MS–CWS NSs are further enhanced by NIR light irradiation, which remarkably causes the death of MRSA. MS–CWS NSs show 4.4 log (99.996%) bacterial inactivation efficiency of MRSA in vitro under NIR light irradiation (0.8 W cm⁻², 5 min). In an MRSA infected wound mouse model, MS–CWS NSs inactivate the MRSA by more than 5.2 log (>99.999%) and effectively promote wound healing. This work provides an NIR-responsive 2D nanozyme for efficient treatment of MRSA infections.