Novel Targeted Drug Delivery Strategies for Combating Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacterial Infections

The problem of antimicrobial resistance is a major public health issue affecting many countries around the globe. Antimicrobial resistance is reducing the ability of traditional antibiotics to treat certain diseases and increasing the chances of an unsuccessful medical treatment due to resistance to the prescribed medication. Recently, researchers have made advancements in using novel drug delivery systems, such as polymeric nanoparticles, liposomes, and solid lipid nanoparticles along with dendrimers, as new delivery methods to improve drug efficacy for treating patients with antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Specifically, delivery systems designed with nanotechnology provide several advantages over traditional methods including stability of the drug, controlled release of the drug, and site-specific delivery of the drug. In addition to these advantages, the review also discusses the use of ligand modified and stimuli sensitive delivery systems as potential methods for overcoming biological barriers and improving the efficacy of therapeutics. The review also discusses new strategies to combat bacterial biofilms and intracellular infections, both of which play an important role in the development of chronic and hard-to-treat infections. Finally, this review highlights the challenges of bringing these promising new delivery systems to the clinic including issues surrounding safety, formulation complexity, and difficulties associated with translation into clinical settings, all while highlighting the significant potential that these advanced delivery systems hold for addressing the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.