review · The Cell Surface
Multi-drug-resistant bacteria present an urgent global medical challenge driven by the misuse and overuse of conventional antimicrobial drugs. Metallic nanoparticles offer an alternative approach to overcoming this resistance by acting through distinct biological mechanisms. These mechanisms include interacting with bacterial cell walls, penetrating cellular membranes, generating reactive oxygen species, inducing DNA damage, and inhibiting protein synthesis. However, evidence from laboratory and animal studies reveals significant hurdles to the clinical adoption of metallic nanoparticle products. Notable concerns include cellular toxicity and the potential for bacteria to develop resistance directly against nanoparticles themselves. Addressing these safety and resistance limitations remains essential before metallic nanoparticles can be reliably utilised as therapies against resistant bacterial pathogens.
As conventional antibiotics fail against multi-drug-resistant bacteria, alternative treatments are urgently required to prevent untreatable infections. Metallic nanoparticles offer different ways to destroy harmful microbes, yet safety hazards and emerging bacterial defences must be resolved. Understanding these biological pathways and their associated risks helps healthcare researchers develop safer, more effective treatments against difficult bacterial diseases.
This research is relevant to pharmaceutical developers and medical researchers working on alternative antimicrobial therapies. However, practical application remains at an early research stage. Laboratory and animal assessments indicate substantial commercialisation hurdles, specifically adverse toxicity profiles and the emergence of bacterial resistance to nanoparticles, which currently hinder the direct development and deployment of metallic nanoparticle therapeutic products.
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One of the biggest issues for medical professionals and a serious global concern is the emergence of multi-drug-resistant bacteria, which is the result of the overuse or misuse of antimicrobial agents. To combat this urgent problem, new drugs with alternative mechanisms of action are continuously replacing conventional antimicrobials. Nanotechnology-fueled innovations provide patients and medical professionals with hope for overcoming drug resistance. The aim of the present work was to document the antimicrobial potential and mechanisms of action of metallic nanoparticles against bacterial pathogens. Cell wall interaction and membrane penetration, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, DNA damage, and protein synthesis inhibition were some of the generalised mechanisms recognised in the current study. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that toxicity concerns and the development of bacterial resistance against nanoparticles (NPs) harden the use of metallic NP products for the treatment of drug-resistant bacterial pathogens. Therefore, researchers across the globe should actively engage in solving the above-mentioned issues.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.tcsw.2023.100112
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