Engineering hybrid nanosystems for efficient and targeted delivery against bacterial infections

Hybrid nanoparticles (NPs) are emerging as superior alternatives to conventional nanocarriers for enhancing the delivery of antibiotics and improving their targeting at the infection site, resulting in the eradication of bacterial infections and overcoming antimicrobial resistance. They can specifically control the release of antibiotics when reaching the targeted site of infection, thus enhancing and prolonging their antimicrobial efficacy. In this review, we provide a comprehensive and an up-to-date overview of the recent advances and contributions of lipid-polymer hybrid NPs; organic-inorganic hybrid NPs; metal-organic frameworks; cell membrane-coated hybrid NPs; hybrid NP-hydrogels; and various others, that have been reported in the literature for antibacterial delivery, with emphasis on their design approaches; the nanomaterials constructed; the mechanisms of drug release; and the enhanced antibacterial efficacy of the reported hybrid nanocarriers. This review also highlights future strategies that can be used to improve the potential of hybrid nanosystems to treat bacterial infections and overcome antibiotic resistance.