A promising platform of nanovesicles as a synergistic strategy for antibacterial and immunomodulation in treating periodontitis

Current antibacterial and cytokine therapies for periodontitis have demonstrated suboptimal outcomes, and it remains challenging to achieve the two effects simultaneously in a straightforward approach to drug treatment. Here, we present a bifunctional nanoplatform based on polymer vesicles (PVs) that exhibits simultaneous broad-spectrum antibacterial and excellent immunomodulatory properties. The nanoplatform consists of PVs self-assembled from an amphiphilic block copolymer polystyrene-block-polyacrylic acid (PS- b -PAA), silver nanoparticles, and interleukin-4 (IL-4), resulting in the formation of PV/Ag@IL-4. We demonstrate the favorable biocompatibility of PV/Ag@IL-4, as well as its synergistic antibacterial and osteoimmunomodulatory properties, while emphasizing the role of PV/Ag@IL-4 in rescuing the imbalance of periodontal bone homeostasis. This bifunctional nanoplatform exhibits great potential as a candidate for synergistic antibacterial-immunomodulatory therapeutics in the treatment of periodontitis. Additionally, its versatility and simplicity make it a promising platform for developing multifunctional treatments targeting various diseases. • A bifunctional nanoplatform, designated PV/Ag@IL-4, is formulated and characterized • PV/Ag@IL-4 promotes the M2 polarization of macrophages • PV/Ag@IL-4 exerts enhanced antibacterial function in vitro and in vivo • PV/Ag@IL-4 demonstrates synergistic therapeutics in mice periodontitis Li et al. report a bifunctional polymer-vesicle-based nanoplatform comprising silver nanoparticles and IL-4, which offers a potential treatment strategy for periodontitis. The material shows favorable biocompatibility and exhibits enhanced antibacterial and osteoimmunomodulatory properties.