John Jairo Aguilera-CorreaYara TasriniGisbert Garzarán, MiguelAude BoulayTamara CarvalhoFabien P. BlanchetVallet Regí, María Dulce NombreLaurent Kremer2026-04-242026-04-242025Aguilera-Correa JJ, Tasrini Y, Gisbert-Garzarán M, et al. In vivo antimicrobial activity of engineered mesoporous silica nanoparticles targeting intracellular mycobacteria. Nat Commun 2025;16:7388. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62623-y10.1038/s41467-025-62623-yhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/135062Treatments of Mycobacterium marinum, a common non-tuberculous mycobacterium associated with cutaneous infections are very challenging, emphasizing the development of new therapeutic approaches. Here we report the functionalization of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) with a series of triphenylphosphonium (TPP) substituents, which endowed them with affinity towards the surface of M. marinum in vitro, as well as within infected THP-1 cells. The presence of these nanoparticles at the bacterial surface prevents their uptake by human macrophages and dendritic cells. When loaded with doxycycline, the nanosystem exerts a potent anti-bacterial effect in planktonic cultures, biofilms, and in M. marinum-infected macrophages. Strikingly, in the M. marinum/zebrafish infection model, the doxycycline-loaded nanoparticles are associated with a pronounced decrease in the bacterial burden and a high embryo survival rate. These results disclose the proposed MSN nanosystems as a promising alternative for the treatment of M. marinum infection and, presumably, against a broader range of mycobacterial infections.engAttribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/journal articlehttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62623-yopen access53Ciencias BiomédicasQuímica inorgánica (Química)23 Química