Iron-blocking antibacterial therapy with cationic heme-mimetic gallium porphyrin photosensitizer for combating antibiotic resistance and enhancing photodynamic antibacterial activity

•The water solubility of gallium protoporphyrin IX was improved.•Ga-CHP can self-target bacteria and accumulate in infected wound lesions.•Ga-CHP can rapidly kill a broad spectrum of bacteria, even multidrug-resistant strains.•Unlike antibiotics, Ga-CHP cannot trigger drug resistance in terms of phenotypes and mutations.•Ga-CHP can inactivate catalase and enhance photodynamic antibacterial activity.