Copper-infused zinc porphyrin supramolecular polymersomes for triple synergistic combat against wound bacterial biofilm infections

Bacterial biofilm infections (BBI) on wound surfaces and implants pose a significant clinical challenge due to the impermeable nature of biofilms and obstacles in tissue repair. Traditional photothermal therapy (PTT) or chemodynamic therapy (CDT), whether used alone or in combination, often causes damage to surrounding normal tissues from high operating temperatures or elevated levels of reactive oxygen species, leading to unsatisfactory anti-biofilm effects. This study introduces a novel copper ions loaded zinc porphyrin polymer vesicle (Cu-PPS) that employs a triple synergistic approach involving PTT, CDT, and bacterial cuproptosis-like death (BCD). Cu-PPS exhibits exceptional photothermal efficiency of 51.06%, promoting the release of copper ions under photothermal stimulation, enhancing CDT and BCD effectiveness, and facilitating mature biofilm clearance and tissue repair. This approach achieves a bactericidal rate exceeding 99% and an anti-biofilm rate of 93.32% in vitro and also excellent efficacy in treating BBI in vivo. This study presents an innovative therapeutic strategy for combating biofilm infections, addressing the challenges encountered in the clinical management of BBI.