The resistance of pathogenic microorganisms to antibiotics is one of the main problems of world health. Of particular concern are multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. Infections caused by these microorganisms affect the appearance of acute or chronic diseases. In this regard, modern technologies, such as nanomaterials (NMs), especially promising nanoparticles (NPs), can possess antimicrobial properties or improve the effectiveness and delivery of known antibiotics. Their diversity and characteristics, combined with surface functionalization, enable multivalent interactions with microbial biomolecules. This article presents an overview of the most current research on replacing antibiotics with NPs, including the prospects and risks involved.
Keywords: Antibiotics; Copper nanoparticles; Gold nanoparticles; Iron oxide nanoparticles; Silver nanoparticles; Zinc oxide nanoparticles.
© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.