PLGA- and PLA-Based Polymeric Nanoparticles for Antimicrobial Drug Delivery

Despite sustained efforts throughout the last century to develop antimicrobial agents, most infectious diseases are still difficult to tackle. From the pharmaceutical point of view, the problem can arise from complications related to the transport of antimicrobial agents through biological barriers as well as from their low activity inside host cells. To overcome these shortcomings, nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems with enhanced physicochemical properties such as small particle size and concomitantly increased surface to volume ratio, and capable of targeting through functionalizable surfaces, have been successfully used to enhance the efficiency and performance of antimicrobial drugs. Among various nanoparticle-based drug delivery strategies, biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles have gained increasing attention owing to their biocompatibility and minimal toxicity. The aim of this review is to focus on the current state of polymeric nanoparticle development for antimicrobial drug delivery, with emphasis on the most widely-used polymers in this area: poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA).