GSN and skin infection: In this report, we characterize the immunomodulatory properties of a set of gelsolin-derived peptides based on the PIP2-binding site of gelsolin (i.e. GSN160-169) both in free form and conjugated with rhodamine B, and evaluate the impact of attachment of these bioactive peptides to aminosilane-coated and gold-decorated iron oxide-based magnetic nanoparticles on their ability to inhibit the bacterial-induced inflammatory responses in a cell culture-based model of skin infection.