Silver Nanoparticles and Graphene Oxide Complex as an Anti-Inflammatory Biocompatible Liquid Nano-Dressing for Skin Infected with Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

Background

Bacterial skin infections, including Staphylococcus aureus, are a powerful and still not fully resolved problem. The aim of this research was to determine the possibility of using a complex of graphene oxide (GO) encrusted with silver nanoparticles as an effective antibacterial agent against S. aureus and to assess its pro-inflammatory properties.

Methods

The tests were carried out in vitro on EpiDerm™ Skin, an artificial skin model (MatTek in vitro Life Science Laboratories, Slovak Republic), and the fibroblast cell line (HFF-2 from ATCC, USA). Both models were infected with S. aureus bacteria (ATCC 25923) and then treated with antibiotics or our experimental factors: silver nanoparticles (AgNPs, Nano-koloid, Poland), graphene oxide (GO, NanoPoz, Poland), and complex AgNP-GO (hydrocolloid created by self-assembly).

Results

The antibacterial effectiveness of the AgNP-GO complex was equivalent to that of the antibiotic. In addition, an increase in the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines was observed under the influence of antibiotic administration, in contrast to the effect of AgNP-GO, which showed very limited pro-inflammatory activity.

Conclusion

Hydrocolloid of the AgNP-GO complex, administered in the form of a liquid dressing, may act as an antibacterial agent and also reduce inflammation induced by S. aureus infection.

Keywords:

• human skin
• inflammation state
• nanomaterials
• antibacterial properties

Acknowledgments

The work is a part of Marlena Zielińska-Górska’s habilitation thesis.

Disclosure

Dr Marlena Zielińska-Górska, Dr Malwina Sosnowska, MA Agata Lange, Prof Sławomir Jaworski and Prof Tit Ewa Sawosz report a pending patent “A virucidal and biocidal agent”. It’s used especially against SARS-CoV-2, a method of producing a preparation and a protective layer with bactericidal properties’ (application number: P.437795). The authors report no other conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the National Centre for Research and Development, “Hospitals of the same name” grant number 23/2020.