Engineered Nanoplatform For Biosensing And Responsive Synergistic Treatment On Periodontitis

This study aims to develop a nanoplatform that integrates AIE-based cytokine biosensing with responsive NIR-driven photothermal-antibiotic synergy to overcome the limitations of low sensitivity in early lesion detection, poor spatiotemporal drug control, and microbial resistance in periodontitis, thereby enabling closed-loop theranostics for precision periodontics. Gingival crevicular fluid samples from 60 participants (30 healthy/30 early periodontitis, Ethics No. 2024-302, 2024) was analyzed via Luminex assays and machine learning. PDA@PNIPAm was synthesized by oxidative self-polymerization, functionalized with IL-1β/SOST aptamers and TPE-ph-DCM AIE probes via EDC/NHS chemistry, and tuned for cytokine responsiveness. Analyses included TEM/SEM imaging, thermoresponsiveness, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The material demonstrated biocompatibility, aptamer targeting, and synergistic antimicrobial efficacy. In vivo efficacy in 30 ligature-induced periodontitis rats (Ethics No. 2024-132) was evaluated through micro-CT, TRAP/HE staining, and cytokine immunoblotting. Statistical analysis included t-tests/ANOVA. The IL-1β/SOST biomarker combination exhibited high diagnostic accuracy for early periodontitis . The microenvironment-responsive nanoplatform featured uniform nanostructures with reversible thermoresponsiveness and AIE-enhanced fluorescence for real-time cytokine monitoring. Biocompatibility and aptamer specificity enabled closed-loop theranostics, addressing sensitivity, responsive spatiotemporal drug release, and antimicrobial resistance. In vitro, synergistic NIR photothermal-antibiotic therapy achieved higher bacterial eradication comparing to antibiotics alone, while in vivo studies revealed reduction in alveolar bone loss, suppressed osteoclast activity, and reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines. PDA@Aptamer-PNIPAm-AIE nanoplatform enables precision periodontics by biosensing and sensitive synergistic treatment of periodontitis.