Metal Nanomaterials: A Strategy to Combat Drug-Resistant Bacterial Infections

Bacterial infections pose a major challenge today due to the rise of drug resistance in pathogenic bacteria, creating an urgent need for the development of nonantibiotic therapies. Metal nanomaterials are increasingly recognized as promising antibacterial agents due to their unique physical and chem...

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Main Authors: Yaran Wang, Fan Wu, Yijin Ren, Yong Liu, Henny C. Mei
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2025-01-01
Series:Research
Online Access:https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/research.0853
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author Yaran Wang
Fan Wu
Yijin Ren
Yong Liu
Henny C. Mei
author_facet Yaran Wang
Fan Wu
Yijin Ren
Yong Liu
Henny C. Mei
author_sort Yaran Wang
collection DOAJ
description Bacterial infections pose a major challenge today due to the rise of drug resistance in pathogenic bacteria, creating an urgent need for the development of nonantibiotic therapies. Metal nanomaterials are increasingly recognized as promising antibacterial agents due to their unique physical and chemical properties, which offer strong antibacterial capabilities and broad-spectrum activity against drug-resistant bacteria. Unlike traditional antibacterial therapies, metal nanomaterials rarely induce drug resistance because of their diverse antibacterial mechanisms, which destroy bacteria by directly damaging bacterial cells or generating oxidative stress. Metal nanomaterials have proven effective in treating various drug-resistant bacterial infections. This perspective highlights recent advances in metal nanomaterials for antimicrobial applications. Firstly, bacterial infections and the current dilemma are introduced. Next, recent progress in the antibacterial activity of metal nanomaterials against drug-resistant bacteria is summarized, along with the challenges in their antimicrobial applications. Finally, future prospects and remaining challenges associated with the use of metal nanomaterials to treat drug-resistant bacteria are discussed.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2639-5274
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
record_format Article
series Research
spelling doaj-art-ab522da18ac547fdb0946b90e9d6bae42025-08-21T14:11:31ZengAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)Research2639-52742025-01-01810.34133/research.0853Metal Nanomaterials: A Strategy to Combat Drug-Resistant Bacterial InfectionsYaran Wang0Fan Wu1Yijin Ren2Yong Liu3Henny C. Mei4State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Ministry of Education, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Ministry of Education, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.Department of Orthodontics, University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Ministry of Education, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.Department of Biomaterials and Biomedical Technology, University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.Bacterial infections pose a major challenge today due to the rise of drug resistance in pathogenic bacteria, creating an urgent need for the development of nonantibiotic therapies. Metal nanomaterials are increasingly recognized as promising antibacterial agents due to their unique physical and chemical properties, which offer strong antibacterial capabilities and broad-spectrum activity against drug-resistant bacteria. Unlike traditional antibacterial therapies, metal nanomaterials rarely induce drug resistance because of their diverse antibacterial mechanisms, which destroy bacteria by directly damaging bacterial cells or generating oxidative stress. Metal nanomaterials have proven effective in treating various drug-resistant bacterial infections. This perspective highlights recent advances in metal nanomaterials for antimicrobial applications. Firstly, bacterial infections and the current dilemma are introduced. Next, recent progress in the antibacterial activity of metal nanomaterials against drug-resistant bacteria is summarized, along with the challenges in their antimicrobial applications. Finally, future prospects and remaining challenges associated with the use of metal nanomaterials to treat drug-resistant bacteria are discussed.https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/research.0853
spellingShingle Yaran Wang
Fan Wu
Yijin Ren
Yong Liu
Henny C. Mei
Metal Nanomaterials: A Strategy to Combat Drug-Resistant Bacterial Infections
Research
title Metal Nanomaterials: A Strategy to Combat Drug-Resistant Bacterial Infections
title_full Metal Nanomaterials: A Strategy to Combat Drug-Resistant Bacterial Infections
title_fullStr Metal Nanomaterials: A Strategy to Combat Drug-Resistant Bacterial Infections
title_full_unstemmed Metal Nanomaterials: A Strategy to Combat Drug-Resistant Bacterial Infections
title_short Metal Nanomaterials: A Strategy to Combat Drug-Resistant Bacterial Infections
title_sort metal nanomaterials a strategy to combat drug resistant bacterial infections
url https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/research.0853
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AT fanwu metalnanomaterialsastrategytocombatdrugresistantbacterialinfections
AT yijinren metalnanomaterialsastrategytocombatdrugresistantbacterialinfections
AT yongliu metalnanomaterialsastrategytocombatdrugresistantbacterialinfections
AT hennycmei metalnanomaterialsastrategytocombatdrugresistantbacterialinfections