Antibacterial micro/nanomotors: current research progress, challenges, and opportunities

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Microbiology

Background:

• Antibiotic resistance poses a significant global health threat.
• Existing alternative antibacterial strategies have limitations, including non-specificity and environmental concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review micro/nanomotors (MNMs) for antimicrobial applications.
• To summarize propulsion mechanisms, functions, challenges, and future directions of MNMs in combating bacterial infections.

Main Methods:

• Review of diverse propulsion mechanisms of MNMs.
• Analysis of MNMs' functions: bactericidal action, capture, detoxification, and detection.
• Discussion of challenges and solutions for clinical translation.

Main Results:

• MNMs demonstrate enhanced targeted interaction with bacteria.
• Improved therapeutic agent delivery and efficiency of non-drug antimicrobial interventions.
• Versatile applications including direct killing, removal, detoxification, and sensing.

Conclusions:

• MNMs represent a revolutionary advancement in antimicrobial research.
• Addressing challenges in clinical translation is crucial for realizing their full potential.
• Future research should focus on overcoming current limitations and exploring novel applications.