Emerging non-antibiotic strategies for implant-associated biofilm infections by reprogramming the dysregulated immune microenvironment
Implant-associated infections (IAIs) arise from immune dysregulation and the resilience of bacterial biofilms, which create a permissive niche for persistent infection. Biofilms further suppress host immunity and impair repair. Advances in nanoengineered surfaces and multifunctional antimicrobial coatings, together with gas-releasing and stimulus-responsive nanoplatforms, offer effective non-antibiotic strategies to inhibit colonization, disrupt biofilms, and modulate local immunity. This review summarizes emerging immune-informed approaches for treating IAIs.
Authors
- Meng Ding (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9750-0586)
- Heng Dong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-1556-1169)
- Yi Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5388-1276)
- Jinjin Zheng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6774-9786)
- Ao He (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9098-7010)
- Z X Dai
- Dongliang Yang
- Yongbin Mou
- Qiang Li
- Xiaoye Li
- Weijun Xiu
Institutions
- Nanjing Tech University (CN)
- National University of Singapore (SG)
- Stomatology Hospital (CN)
- Nanjing Medical University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- npj Biofilms and Microbiomes
- Published
- 2026-01-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-025-00907-3
- Primary Topic
- Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Government of Jiangsu Province
- Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province
- Nanjing University
- Jiangsu Association for Science and Technology
- Nanjing Medical Science and Technique Development Foundation