Antimicrobial polymeric nanoparticles

Currently, infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria have reached critical levels. Thus, various approaches are being explored for the development of new and effective antimicrobial agents, one of which lies in the form of polymeric nanoparticles. Driven by the significant advancements in controlled polymerization techniques over the last few decades, antimicrobial polymeric nanoparticles have recently been investigated as potential new antibiotics to combat the rise of infectious diseases. This review aims at presenting an overview of the history and state-of-the-art of antimicrobial polymeric nanoparticles including their available structure-activity relationship, and highlights the impact of controlled polymerization has on the antimicrobial field as well as some of the key challenges that still need to be overcome for potential clinical applications. Herein, potential new developments are suggested as well. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.