Restoration of ampicillin susceptibility in drug-resistant enterococcus faecalis via synergistic therapy with co-functionalized gold nanoparticles
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Enterococcus faecalis ( E. faecalis ), a leading pathogen associated with severe nosocomial infections, poses a major control challenge owing to its widespread multidrug resistance. Current first-line therapies for E. faecalis infections combine ampicillin (Amp) with gentamicin or ceftriaxone, yet this approach is plagued by inherent toxicity and a tendency to promote drug-resistant strain colonization. To explore novel strategies against E. faecalis infections, we devised a combined treatment regimen consisting of methimazole (MMI) -melamine (Mel) co-functionalized gold nanoparticles (Au NPs, Mel-MMI@Au NPs) and Amp. Experiments demonstrated that Mel-MMI@Au NPs outperformed their single-ligand counterparts (Mel@Au NPs or MMI@Au NPs) in both stability and antibacterial activity. By disrupting bacterial cell membranes, Mel-MMI@Au NPs enhance Amp penetration across bacterial barriers for targeted inhibition, reducing Amp’s minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) by eightfold. The fractional inhibitory concentration index of the combination was determined to be 0.375 (below the synergism threshold of 0.5), confirming a robust synergistic antibacterial effect. This dual-modified Au NPs–antibiotic strategy achieves low-dose synergistic bactericidal activity, delays resistance evolution, and ensures favorable biosafety, thereby overcoming the limitations of single antibiotics and representing a promising approach against multidrug-resistant E. faecalis .
Source: Biomedical Materials
Authors: Qingqing Li, Mingzhi Huang, Peng Wang
Institutions: Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou University
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,325
Award: G6177307085
OpenAlex ID: W7167012005
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