Antibiotic-Like Activity of Atomic Layer Boron Nitride for Combating Resistant Bacteria

The global rise of antimicrobial
resistance (AMR) that increasingly
invalidates conventional antibiotics has become a huge threat to human
health. Although nanosized antibacterial agents have been extensively
explored, they cannot sufficiently discriminate between microbes and
mammals, which necessitates the exploration of other antibiotic-like
candidates for clinical uses. Herein, two-dimensional boron nitride
(BN) nanosheets are reported to exhibit antibiotic-like activity to
AMR bacteria. Interestingly, BN nanosheets had AMR-independent antibacterial
activity without triggering secondary resistance in long-term use
and displayed excellent biocompatibility in mammals. They could target
key surface proteins (e.g., FtsP, EnvC, TolB) in
cell division, resulting in impairment of Z-ring constriction for
inhibition of bacteria growth. Notably, BN nanosheets had potent antibacterial
effects in a lung infection model by P. aeruginosa (AMR), displaying a 2-fold increment of survival rate. Overall,
these results suggested that BN nanosheets could be a promising nano-antibiotic
to combat resistant bacteria and prevent AMR evolution.