It Takes Two to Tangle: Microneedle Patches Co‐delivering Monoclonal Antibodies and Engineered Antimicrobial Peptides Effectively Eradicate Wound Biofilms

Abstract

AbstractWound biofilms pose a great clinical challenge. Herein, this work reports a dissolvable microneedle patch for dual delivery of monoclonal antibodies anti‐PBP2a and engineers antimicrobial peptides W379. In vitro antibacterial efficacy testing with microneedle patches containing a combination of 250 ng mL−1 W379 and 250 ng mL−1 anti‐BPB2a decreases the bacterial count from ≈3.31 × 107 CFU mL−1 to 1.28 × 102 CFU mL−1 within 2 h without eliciting evident cytotoxicity. Ex vivo testing indicates W379 and anti‐PBP2a co‐loaded microneedle patch displayed a remarkable reduction of bacterial load by ≈7.18 log CFU after administered only once within 48 h. The bacterial count is significantly diminished compared to the treatment by either W379 or anti‐PBP2a‐loaded alone microneedle patches. When administered twice within 48 h, no bacteria are identified. Further in vivo study also reveals that after two treatments of W379 and anti‐PBP2a co‐loaded PVP microneedle patches within 48 h, the bacterial colonies are undetectable in a type II diabetic mouse wound biofilm model. Taken together, W379 and anti‐PBP2a co‐loaded PVP microneedle patches hold great promise in treating wound biofilms.