Hybrid Ultrasound‐Enhanced and Self‐Cascade‐Catalysis‐Mediated System with Lewis Acid Active Centers for Treating MRSA‐Infected Osteomyelitis
Conventional nanoenzymes for treating methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-infected osteomyelitis face serious limitations, including instability caused by valence cycling and impaired reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation by hypoxia. Here, we present Lewis acid nanoenzymes (Cu/ZM-Ca), which avoids valence cycling by through electron-pair-mediated hydrogen peroxide (H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>) cleavage, exhibiting higher stability compared to compared to conventional Fenton catalysts. The ZSM-5 zeolite framework facilitates the synergizes of 3D Lewis acid centers with ultrasound to achieve on-demand generation of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> through hydrolysis of calcium peroxide (CaO<sub>2</sub>) to enhance ROS generation under hypoxic conditions; and amplification of cavitation effects to achieve deep tissue penetration. The electron-pair catalytic mechanism is oxygen-independent, making Cu/ZM-Ca suitable for hypoxic deep-tissue infections. Density Functional Theory calculations reveal that the Lewis acid site reduces the activation energy of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> through enhanced adsorption, allowing direct cleavage of the O─O bond without metal oxidation. This hybrid system reduces MRSA survival by 5-logs in 15 min through synergistic membrane disruption and metabolic blockade. In vivo, ultrasound-activated Cu/ZM-Ca cleared 99.5% of bacteria and resulted in an effective increase in bone regeneration (45.7% vs 24.5% BV/TV). This work establishes a novel class of hypoxia-resistant nanoenzymes based on Lewis acid catalysis, overcoming fundamental constraints of conventional ROS therapies.
Authors
- Hao Cheng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8650-2914)
- Panyue Liu
- Paul Kim-Ho Chu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5581-4883)
- Shuxin Lu
- Xiangyu Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3186-8067)
- Xiaohong Yao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-3204-6197)
- Guo Jiqiang
- Meiwen An (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7114-6902)
Institutions
- City University of Hong Kong (HK)
- Shanxi Medical University (CN)
- Taiyuan Institute of Technology (CN)
- Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences (CN)
- Taiyuan University of Technology (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Healthcare Materials
- Published
- 2025-09-26
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.202502586
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.67