We report the application of two iodinated boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) photocatalysts as theranostic compounds against pathogenic bacterial biofilms. These derivatives, which are activated through a polarity effect upon binding, have exquisite selectivity towards amyloids in the biofilm extracellular matrix (ECM). This property can be exploited in fluorescence microscopy to stain the ECM of uropathogenic bacterial biofilms, displaying a superior selectivity compared to Thioflavin T, the gold standard for amyloid detection. Moreover, we show that the ability of these compounds to photosensitize reactive oxygen species upon binding can be used to weaken the mechanical barrier of the ECM and restore the activity of conventional antimicrobial agents, whose effect is strongly limited in intact biofilms. The combination of activatable near-infrared fluorescence and photo-oxygenation properties of these compounds upon binding to amyloid structures provides a powerful theranostic tool for simultaneous detection and treatment of pathogenic biofilm infections.

我们报告了两种碘化硼二吡咯亚甲基 (BODIPY) 光催化剂作为治疗病原菌生物膜的治疗化合物的应用。这些衍生物在结合时通过极性效应被激活，对生物膜细胞外基质 (ECM) 中的淀粉样蛋白具有极好的选择性。这一特性可用于荧光显微镜对泌尿致病细菌生物膜的 ECM 进行染色，与淀粉样蛋白检测的金标准硫黄素 T 相比，显示出更高的选择性。此外，我们表明，这些化合物在结合后对活性氧物质进行光敏化的能力可用于削弱 ECM 的机械屏障并恢复常规抗菌剂的活性，其作用在完整的生物膜中受到强烈限制。