Nanomaterials: The New Antimicrobial Magic Bullet

Bacterial infections are a significant cause ofmortality and morbidity worldwide, despite decades of use ofnumerous existing antibiotics and constant efforts by researchers todiscover new antibiotics. The emergence of infections associatedwith antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, has amplified the pressureto develop additional bactericidal therapies or new unorthodoxapproaches that can deal with antimicrobial resistance. Nanoma-terial-based strategies, particularly those that do not rely onconventional small-molecule antibiotics, offer promise in part dueto their ability to dodge existing mechanisms used by drug-resistant bacteria. Therefore, the use of nanomaterial-basedformulations has attracted attention in thefield of antibiotictherapy. In this Review, we highlight novel and emergingnanomaterial-based formulations along with details about the mechanisms by which nanoparticles can target bacterial infectionsand antimicrobial resistance. A detailed discussion about types and the activities of nanoparticles is presented, along with how theycan be used as either delivery systems or as inherent antimicrobials, or a combination of both. Lastly, we highlight some toxicologicalconcerns for the use of nanoparticles in antibiotic therapies.