Biomaterial therapeutic strategies for treatment of bacterial lung infections
Eunice Chee1,2, Andrés J García1,2
1Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Abstract:
Bacterial infections of the lung frequently occur as a secondary infection to many respiratory viral infections and conditions, including influenza, COVID-19, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cystic fibrosis (CF). Currently, clinical standard treats bacterial infections of the lung with antibiotic drugs. However, the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics can disrupt host microbiomes, lead to patient discomfort, and current clinical settings face the constantly increasing threat of drug-resistant bacteria. Biofilms further obstruct effective treatment due to their protective matrix layer, which shields bacteria from both the host immune system and antimicrobial drugs and subsequently promotes drug resistance. Alternative antimicrobial agents, including bacteriophages and antimicrobial peptides, have been utilized to treat drug-resistant bacteria. However, these antimicrobial agents have significant limitations pertaining to their ability to arrive at infection sites without compromised function and ability to persist over an extended period to fully treat infections. Enhanced delivery strategies present great promise in addressing these issues by using micro/nanoparticle carriers that shield antimicrobial agents in transit and result in sustained release, enhancing subsequent therapeutic effect and can even be modulated to be multi-functional to further improve recovery following bacterial infection.
Insights
Novel micro/nanoparticle carriers offer enhanced delivery for lung bacterial infections, overcoming antibiotic resistance and improving therapeutic outcomes. These advanced strategies shield antimicrobials, ensuring sustained release for better treatment.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Nanotechnology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Bacterial lung infections often follow viral illnesses like influenza and COVID-19, or chronic conditions such as COPD and cystic fibrosis.
- Current antibiotic treatments face challenges including microbiome disruption, patient discomfort, and rising drug-resistant bacteria.
- Bacterial biofilms create protective layers, hindering immune response and antimicrobial efficacy, exacerbating treatment resistance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore enhanced delivery strategies for treating bacterial lung infections.
- To address limitations of current antimicrobial agents and biofilm-related resistance.
- To investigate the potential of micro/nanoparticle carriers for improved antimicrobial delivery.
Main Methods:
- Review of alternative antimicrobial agents (bacteriophages, antimicrobial peptides).
- Analysis of enhanced delivery strategies using micro/nanoparticle carriers.
- Evaluation of carrier-mediated shielding and sustained release mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Micro/nanoparticle carriers can shield antimicrobial agents during transit to infection sites.
- These carriers facilitate sustained release of antimicrobials, enhancing therapeutic effects.
- The delivery systems can be engineered for multi-functionality to aid recovery.
Conclusions:
- Enhanced delivery strategies using micro/nanoparticles show promise for overcoming challenges in treating bacterial lung infections.
- These approaches can improve the efficacy of antimicrobial agents against drug-resistant bacteria and biofilms.
- Future research could focus on optimizing these carriers for clinical application in respiratory infections.
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