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Photodynamic therapy for Staphylococcus aureus infected burn wounds in mice

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Abstract

The rise of multiply antibiotic resistant bacteria has led to searches for novel antimicrobial therapies to treat infections. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a potential candidate; it uses the combination of a photosensitizer with visible light to produce reactive oxygen species that lead to cell death. We used PDT mediated by meso-mono-phenyl-tri(N-methyl-4-pyridyl)-porphyrin (PTMPP) to treat burn wounds in mice with established Staphylococcus aureus infections The third degree burn wounds were infected with bioluminescent S. aureus. PDT was applied after one day of bacterial growth by adding a 25% DMSO/500 µM PTMPP solution to the wound followed by illumination with red light and periodic imaging of the mice using a sensitive camera to detect the bioluminescence. More than 98% of the bacteria were eradicated after a light dose of 210 J cm−2 in the presence of PTMPP. However, bacterial re-growth was observed. Light alone or PDT both delayed the wound healing. These data suggest that PDT has the potential to rapidly reduce the bacterial load in infected burns. The treatment needs to be optimized to reduce wound damage and prevent recurrence.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laser Center, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105, AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands

    Saskia A. G. Lambrechts & Maurice C. G. Aalders

  2. Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, BAR414, 40 Blossom Street, Boston, MA, 02114-2698, USA

    Saskia A. G. Lambrechts, Tatiana N. Demidova & Michael R. Hamblin

  3. Department of Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA

    Tatiana N. Demidova

  4. Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Tayyaba Hasanb & Michael R. Hamblin

  5. Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Tayyaba Hasanb & Michael R. Hamblin

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  1. Saskia A. G. Lambrechts
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  2. Tatiana N. Demidova
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  3. Maurice C. G. Aalders
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  4. Tayyaba Hasanb
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  5. Michael R. Hamblin
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Correspondence to Michael R. Hamblin.

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Lambrechts, S.A.G., Demidova, T.N., Aalders, M.C.G. et al. Photodynamic therapy for Staphylococcus aureus infected burn wounds in mice. Photochem Photobiol Sci 4, 503–509 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1039/b502125a

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