Gold nanoparticle-aptamer conjugated antimicrobial peptide RW-BP100 effectively treats Brucella canis infection in mice and macrophages by delivering the AMP inside infected cells.
Intracellular Brucella killedGold nanoparticle-AMP conjugate reaches bacteria hiding inside macrophages
What the researchers found
AuNP-AptHis-RW-BP100His conjugate demonstrated therapeutic efficacy against intracellular Brucella canis in both RAW 264.7 macrophages and infected mice.
Why it matters
Brucellosis is a persistent zoonotic disease with limited treatment options. Nanoparticle-delivered AMPs that penetrate infected cells could revolutionize treatment of this and similar intracellular infections.
How the study worked
Nanoconjugate synthesis; in vitro macrophage infection model; in vivo mouse brucellosis treatment; antimicrobial efficacy assessment.
What this study cannot tell us
Mouse model; gold nanoparticle biocompatibility and accumulation need long-term assessment; cost of aptamer-nanoparticle conjugation; single pathogen tested.
How to read the evidence
Preclinical study with in vitro and in vivo validation — proof of concept for nanoparticle-AMP anti-brucellosis therapy.
When this study was published
Published in 2026, advancing nanoparticle-peptide therapeutics for intracellular infections.
The bigger picture
This demonstrates the power of combining three technologies — gold nanoparticles, aptamer targeting, and antimicrobial peptides — to solve the intracellular infection challenge that limits treatment of many chronic bacterial diseases.
Questions still open
- Could this nanoconjugate approach be adapted for human brucellosis treatment?
- Does the gold nanoparticle platform cause toxicity with repeated dosing?
Common questions
What is brucellosis?
How do gold nanoparticles help deliver the peptide?
Read the original research
Antimicrobial and therapeutic effect of gold Nanoparticle-Aptamer conjugated antimicrobial peptide RW-BP100 in Brucella canis infected mice and RAW 264.7 cells.
Microbial pathogenesis, 210, 108217
Citation
Cho, Seong Eun; Huy, Tran Xuan Ngoc; Nguyen, Trang Thi; Aguilar, Ched Nicole Turbela; Salad, Said Abdi; Hong, Il-Hwa; Min, Won-Gi; Lee, Hu-Jang; Yeom, Ji-Hyun; Kim, Suk. (2026). Antimicrobial and therapeutic effect of gold Nanoparticle-Aptamer conjugated antimicrobial peptide RW-BP100 in Brucella canis infected mice and RAW 264.7 cells.. Microbial pathogenesis, 210, 108217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micpath.2025.108217