Limiting Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Using Multifunctional Nanomaterials

In the current scenario, antibiotic-resistant bacteria become a global threat to human health, and it has been predicted that by the year 2050, death caused due to bacterial infection will surpass the cancer-related death. Existing antibiotic therapy experiences several limitations like side effects, poor stability, and solubility which leads to its inefficiency in antimicrobial therapy. To overcome these limitations, research has been focused on alternative strategies like use of nanomaterials in the formulation of antimicrobial agents due to advantages like drug-targeting ability, biodistribution, enhanced uptake, and favored physicochemical properties. Nanomaterials interact with the cellular component of microbes, and their antimicrobial behavior depends majorly on surface chemistry, size, shape, and core material. This chapter elaborates on the drug-resistant mechanism of microbes as well as the role of nanomaterials (nitric oxide-releasing, chitosan-based, and metallic) in combating drug resistance. Various bacterial-based diseases in animals are also liable to be transferred in humans and cause serious illness. The potential of nanomaterials in the prevention and treatment of diseases in animal models is also the highlight in the present article. Finally, we also discussed the clinical approaches of nanoformulation in combating drug-resistant microbes.