Abstract
The rapid emergence of drug resistance continues to outpace the development of new antibiotics in the treatment of infectious diseases. Conventional therapy is currently limited by drug access issues such as low intracellular drug accumulations, drug efflux by efflux pumps and/or enzymatic degradation. To improve access, targeted delivery using nanocarriers could provide the quantum leap in intracellular drug transport and retention. Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) with crucial advantages such as large surface area, ease-of-functionalization, and biocompatibility, are one of the most commonly used nanoparticles in drug delivery applications. A porous variant, called the mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN), also confers additional amenities such as tunable pore size and volume, leading to high drug loading capacity. In the context of bacterial infections, SiNPs and its variants can act as a powerful tool for the targeted delivery of antimicrobials, potentially reducing the impact of high drug dosage and its side effects. In this review, we will provide an overview of SiNPs synthesis, its structural proficiency which is critical in loading and conjugation of antimicrobials and its role in different antimicrobial applications with emphasis on intracellular drug targeting in anti-tuberculosis therapy, nitric oxide delivery, and metal nanocomposites. The role of SiNPs in antibiofilm coatings will also be covered in the context of nosocomial infections and surgical implants.
Highlights
Dubbed as a global epidemic, the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has resulted in a dramatic increase in bacterial pathogens with resistance against one or multiple antibiotics (Dabke and Sheridan, 2011; Ferri et al, 2017; Merlino, 2017)
The results indicated that particles with co-condensed functional groups and those synthesized in basic condition degraded at a much faster rate than purely siliceous mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN)
Pedraza and team designed a “nanoantibiotic” system made of MSN loaded with levofloxacin (LEVO) and surface functionalized with positively-charged N-(2-aminoethyl)-3aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (DAMO) which acts as a targeting agent rendering affinity toward negatively-charged bacterial membrane and biofilms (Pedraza et al, 2018)
Summary
Dubbed as a global epidemic, the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has resulted in a dramatic increase in bacterial pathogens with resistance against one or multiple antibiotics (Dabke and Sheridan, 2011; Ferri et al, 2017; Merlino, 2017). While silica nanoparticles are generally considered non-toxic, specific properties of SiNPs, such as the size, reactive surface groups or sometimes the route of administration, can illustrate varied levels of toxicity in the body.
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