Elsevier, Gemma C. Cotton, Natalie R. Lagesse, Liam S. Parke, Carla J. Meledandri, 3.04 - Antibacterial Nanoparticles, Editor(s): David L. Andrews, Robert H. Lipson, Thomas Nann, Comprehensive Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (Second Edition), Academic Press, 2019, Pages 65-82
Nanoparticles have emerged as a promising alternative to the use of conventional antibiotics for the treatment of bacterial infections. Numerous studies have demonstrated the bactericidal effects that nanoparticles can offer against a broad spectrum of bacteria, including drug-resistant bacteria. This chapter will introduce the most widely accepted theories that describe the mechanisms by which nanoparticles exert antibacterial effects, discuss methods used for the assessment of antibacterial activity, with a focus on considerations specific to evaluating NP-mediated effects, review some of the key work in the area and present some of the potential reasons for perceived inconsistencies in results reported to-date.
