Handling (Nano)Silver as Antimicrobial Agent: Therapeutic Window, Dissolution Dynamics, Detection Methods and...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Science
• Materials Science
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Silver has a long history as an antimicrobial agent.
• Emerging bacterial resistance has renewed interest in silver's therapeutic potential.
• Research on ionic and nano-sized silver yields controversial findings, necessitating a comprehensive review.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current understanding of silver's applications in medicine.
• To elucidate silver dissolution processes and evaluation methods.
• To provide guidelines for silver's use in biomedical settings.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature search across chemistry, materials science, environmental science, biology, and medicine.
• Synthesis of findings on silver's therapeutic window and mechanistic interactions.
• Analysis of best practices for handling silver in biomedical environments.

Main Results:

• Silver's efficacy as an antimicrobial is debated, with potential benefits and risks.
• Understanding silver dissolution and evaluation methods is crucial for its application.
• Mechanistic interactions and therapeutic windows require careful consideration.

Conclusions:

• This review consolidates current knowledge on silver's biomedical potential.
• It offers insights into interpreting observed effects and handling silver safely.
• Provides guidelines for future research and clinical application of silver.