Nanomedicines to counter microbial barriers and antimicrobial resistance

Antibiotics are critically important for treating microbial infections. Conventional antibiotics are intrinsically compromised by risk of cultivating antimicrobial resistance, poor bioavailability, toxicity, frequent dosing regimens, and poor patient compliance. Physiological barriers are an important driver of many of these shortcomings. Nanoscale carriers delivering antibiotics, termed nanomedicines, could equip next-generation antimicrobial therapies with enhanced potency, improved patient compliance, and circumvent physiological barriers and antimicrobial resistance. This review describes critical barriers for antimicrobial performance and elucidates design principles for efficacious antimicrobial nanomedicines. Examples of this approach in respiratory, central nervous system, and hepatic infections are provided.