R. Lakshminarayanan, E. Ye, D. J. Young, Z. Li, X. J. Loh, Adv. Healthcare Mater. 2018, 1701400.
Abstract:
The rapid growth of harmful pathogens and their multidrug‐resistance poses a severe challenge for health professionals and for the development of new healthcare products. Various strategies are exploited for the development of effective antimicrobial agents, and nanoparticles are a particularly promising class of materials in this respect. This review summarizes recent advances in antimicrobial metallic, polymeric, and lipid‐based nanoparticles such as liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, and nanostructured lipid carriers. The latter materials in particular are engineered for antimicrobial agent delivery and act by encapsulation, receptor‐based binding, and disruption of microbial adherence to cellular substrates. Potential strategies for the design of multifunctional antimicrobial nanocarriers, combining material chemistry and biological interface science, are also discussed.