DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF BIOENGINEERED NANOPARTICLES FOR TARGETED ANTIMICROBIAL THERAPY AGAINST MULTIDRUG-RESISTANT BACTERIA

Abstract

There is an escalating trend of bacterial infections that are resistant to available antibiotic treatments, and this has spurred research on alternative ways of addressing this issue. Among these alternative methods is the application of bioengineered nanoparticles that can target bacterial infections more effectively and counteract the defensive responses of multi-drug-resistant bacterial infections. The studies that this systematic review aimed to investigate include research on the development and functionality of nanoparticles that are exclusively used on bacterial infections as therapeutic means, and these studies had to be conducted between 2007 and 2025. There was a comprehensive search of four scientific research databases. From the observations made, it can be noticed that research on nanoparticles has evolved from simple metallic nanoparticles to more sophisticated nanoscale systems that have the ability to selectively bind on bacterial cells, sense conditions resulting from infections, and release their active ingredients on demand. Silver nanoparticles, zinc oxide nanoparticles, gold nanostructures, magnetic nanoparticles, polymer-based delivery systems, lipid structures, and graphene sheets and dots have been some of the most commonly used research materials, as they have been observed to possess improved antimicrobial activities than conventional treatments used today. They have been shown to possess potential towards inhibiting bacterial cell mem- branes, producing reactive oxygen species, penetrating biofilms, increasing selective delivery of therapeutic molecules into bacterial cells, and decreasing doses of antibiotics necessary for optimal bacterial destruction. Despite these promising results, it is clear that this review points out some weaknesses as well. First, most of these studies focused only on most studies were performed in vitro, with limited in vivo validation and challenges involving clinical isolates. Additionally, despite some progress, there is still little development concerning issues of longevity, interaction, and a standardized way of testing. Despite promising evidence, significant gaps remain, more advanced biological and toxicological testing is required before they can be considered as potentially useful clinical tools.