Nanomedicines for antimicrobial interventions

The development of new antimicrobial therapeutic tools addresses the emergence of multidrug-resistant micro-organisms or clones and the need for more effective antimicrobial strategies. Overcoming the hurdles in providing early diagnosis and intervention on hard-to-reach and/or resting bacteria (i.e. biofilm-embedded cells) represents a challenging task. In this review, we identify a set of organic, inorganic, and hybrid materials that might be used for prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections. We report the current knowledge on nano-and microparticle-based antimicrobial agents and describe the possible mode of their action. (C) 2014 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.