Mesoporous silica nanoparticles as carrier to overcome bacterial drug resistant barriers

Antibiotic resistance has become a global threat to health due to abuse of antibiotics. Lots of existing antibiotics have lost their effect on drug resistant bacteria. Moreover, the discovery of novel antibiotics becomes more and more difficult. It is necessary to develop new strategies to fight against antibiotic resistance. Nano-drug delivery systems endow old antibiotics with new vitality to defeat the antibiotic resistant barrier by protecting antibiotics against hydrolysis, increasing uptake and circumventing efflux pump. Among them, mesoporous silica nano -particles (MSNs) are one of the most extensively investigated as carrier of antibiotics due to large drug loading capability, tunable physicochemical characteristics, and biocompatibility. MSNs can improve the delivery of antibiotics to bacteria greatly by reducing size, modifying surface, and regulating shapes. Furthermore, MSNs hybridized metal ions or metal nanoparticles exert stronger antibacterial effect by controlling the release of metal ions or increasing active oxygen species. In addition, metal capped MSNs are also able to load antibiotics to exert synergistic antibacterial effect. This paper firstly reviewed the current application of various nanomaterials as antibacterial agents, and then focused on the MSNs including the introduction of MSNs and various approaches for improving antibacterial effect of MSNs.

Automated summary

Due to abuse of antibiotics, antibiotic resistance has become a global health threat. Many existing antibiotics have lost their effectiveness against drug-resistant bacteria, and the discovery of new antibiotics is becoming increasingly difficult. It is necessary to develop new strategies to combat antibiotic resistance. Nano-drug delivery systems, particularly mesoporous silica nano-particles (MSNs), have been extensively investigated as carriers of antibiotics. MSNs improve the delivery of antibiotics by reducing size, modifying surface, and regulating shapes. Furthermore, MSNs hybridized with metal ions or nanoparticles enhance the antibacterial effect by controlling the release of metal ions or increasing active oxygen species. Metal-capped MSNs can also load antibiotics to exert a synergistic antibacterial effect. This paper reviews the current application of various nanomaterials as antibacterial agents, with a focus on MSNs and approaches for improving their antibacterial effect.