Nanomedicines as a cutting-edge solution to combat antimicrobial resistance

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a critical threat to global public health, necessitating the development of novel strategies. AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve to resist antimicrobial drugs, making infections difficult to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, and death. Over 70% of infection-causing microorganisms are estimated to be resistant to one or several antimicrobial drugs. AMR mechanisms include efflux pumps, target modifications (e.g., mutations in penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), ribosomal subunits, or DNA gyrase), drug hydrolysis by enzymes (e.g., β-lactamase), and membrane alterations that reduce the antibiotic's binding affinity and entry. Microbes also resist antimicrobials through peptidoglycan precursor modification, ribosomal subunit methylation, and alterations in metabolic enzymes. Rapid development of new strategies is essential to curb the spread of AMR and microbial infections. Nanomedicines, with their small size and unique physicochemical properties, offer a promising solution by overcoming drug resistance mechanisms such as reduced drug uptake, increased efflux, biofilm formation, and intracellular bacterial persistence. They enhance the therapeutic efficacy of antimicrobial agents, reduce toxicity, and tackle microbial resistance effectively. Various nanomaterials, including polymeric-based, lipid-based, metal nanoparticles, carbohydrate-derived, nucleic acid-based, and hydrogels, provide efficient solutions for AMR. This review addresses the epidemiology of microbial resistance, outlines key resistance mechanisms, and explores how nanomedicines overcome these barriers. In conclusion, nanomaterials represent a versatile and powerful approach to combating the current antimicrobial crisis.