Advances in Lipid and Metal Nanoparticles for Antimicrobial Peptide Delivery

Abstract

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been described as excellent candidates to overcome antibiotic resistance. Frequently, AMPs exhibit a wide therapeutic window, with low cytotoxicity and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against a variety of pathogens. In addition, some AMPs are also able to modulate the immune response, decreasing potential harmful effects such as sepsis. Despite these benefits, only a few formulations have successfully reached clinics. A common flaw in the druggability of AMPs is their poor pharmacokinetics, common to several peptide drugs, as they may be degraded by a myriad of proteases inside the organism. The combination of AMPs with carrier nanoparticles to improve delivery may enhance their half-life, decreasing the dosage and thus, reducing production costs and eventual toxicity. Here, we present the most recent advances in lipid and metal nanodevices for AMP delivery, with a special focus on metal nanoparticles and liposome formulations.

Nanoparticles as Anti-Microbial, Anti-Inflammatory, and Remineralizing Agents in Oral Care Cosmetics: A Review of the Current Situation

“…Au has a weak anti-microbial effect against many microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi (Table 1) [123,[125][126][127][128]. Conjugation with tetracycline [129] or with ampicillin [130] can enhance anti-bacterial activity.…”

Nano-Based Drug Delivery or Targeting to Eradicate Bacteria for Infection Mitigation: A Review of Recent Advances

“…Inorganic metal, polymeric, lipidbased, micellar, silica, and cell membrane-coated nanoparticles are the commonly studied nanosystems for antibiotic drugs FIGURE 3 | The formation process of biofilm. (Makowski et al, 2019). Figure 4 summarizes the nanoparticle classes applied to antimicrobial chemotherapy.…”

The Principles, Mechanisms, and Benefits of Unconventional Agents in the Treatment of Biofilm Infection

“…New AMP delivery systems are being developed, which could help avoid the problems related to AMP delivery [ 15 , 112 ]. They improve the pharmacokinetics of AMPs [ 10 ], increase their half-life, reduce the required dose, and decrease production costs and possible toxicity [ 10 , 11 , 113 ]. All this may be achieved by encapsulating AMPs in various nanocarriers [ 15 , 112 ].…”

“…Thus, the appearance of resistance in bacteria demonstrates one of the fundamental principles of preserving the phenomenon of life [ 9 ]. Thanks to technological advances, new ways of delivering antimicrobial peptides have been developed—one is by using nanoparticles, where those with silver are the best choice due to its antimicrobial activity [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ].…”