Bactericidal, Fungicidal, and Immunomodulating Activities of Nanosurfaces

Nanomodified surfaces are increasingly used as bactericidal and immunomodulatory tools in the transition to personalized medicine and health-saving technologies. Medical device-associated infections account for a large proportion of hospital-acquired infections. The use of biomedical implants significantly increases the risk of infection of the human body. Although microbiological contamination is constantly minimized by modern sterilization procedures, postoperative infections are frequently observed after implant placement. To enhance the bactericidal effect of the implant, surface modification is applied. Bactericidal activity of nanoparticles has been investigated against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. It was shown that the inhalation of silver nanoparticles stabilized with polyvinylpyrrolidone led not only to a noticeable bactericidal effect but also recovered the balance of the immune system of mice. Implant-related bacterial and fungal infections remain a serious problem that has not been solved yet. Bactericidal activity of different nanosurfaces was studied against clinically isolated bacterial strains. The antifungal activity of nanoparticles’ surfaces modified with antibiotics and the immunomodulating activity of the samples was evaluated. This chapter provides new insights into understanding and designing of antibacterial, fungicidal, and immunomodulating yet biologically safe surfaces.