Sulfur Vacancy‐Rich MoS <sub>2</sub> Nanodot‐Based Hybrid Eye Drops as an Antibiotic‐Free Antifungus for Fungal Keratitis Therapy
ABSTRACT Fungal keratitis is a highly blinding ocular infection that demands innovative treatment strategies, moving beyond conventional antifungal therapies. In this study, we explore the potential of MoS 2 nanodots engineered with sulfur vacancies, small sizes, hydrophilicity and surface positive charge as eye drops for effective fungal keratitis management. The tailored MoS 2 nanodot‐based hybrid nanomaterials (HNAF) exhibit remarkable antifungal efficacy through a synergistic interaction of their abundant sulfur vacancies and positive surface charges. The ultrasmall size and positive surface charge of HNAF allow the nanodots to pass through corneal epithelial barriers and electrostatically bind to the negatively charged cell membranes of Fusarium solani . The rich sulfur vacancies act as active catalytic centers that decompose local H 2 O 2 into toxic hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and deplete intracellular GSH under dark physiological conditions, without requiring external stimuli in fungal cells. This cooperation between barrier penetration and targeted catalytic oxidation leads to significant antifungal activity in vitro and in vivo with excellent biosafety. This research underscores the potential of MoS 2 nanodot‐based hybrid nanomaterials as a step forward in managing fungal keratitis, offering an antibiotic‐free, safe, and potent alternative to current therapeutic modalities.
Authors
- Ruixing Liu
- Boyuan Cheng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-9977-1027)
- Chaoliang Tan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1695-5285)
- Zhanrong Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-6779-7766)
- Huayang Feng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3289-1249)
- Haohao Cui
- Jingguo Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0471-4540)
- Xiangrong Pan
- Zhan Zhou
- Xiwen Geng
- Huiying Chen
Institutions
- City University of Hong Kong (HK)
- Luoyang Normal University (CN)
- Henan Provincial People's Hospital (CN)
- Henan Provincial Eye Hospital (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Healthcare Materials
- Published
- 2026-07-30
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.71459
- Primary Topic
- Nanoplatforms for cancer theranostics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00