Nanoparticles: Insight into Antimicrobial Mechanism in Combating Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as one of the most critical global public health challenges, that mostly limiting the effectiveness of conventional antibiotics and threatening the management of infectious diseases. The rapid evolution of multidrug-resistant pathogens, particularly ESKAPE organisms, necessitates innovative therapeutic and diagnostic strategies beyond traditional approaches. In this regard, nanotechnology has attracted significant attention as a promising solution to combat AMR, owing to the unique physicochemical properties of nanoparticles, including high surface-to-volume ratios and multifunctionality. Several nanoparticles, including metallic and metal oxide nanoparticles, alloy nanoparticles, lipid-based and polymeric nanocarriers, micelles, dendrimers, and a few others, have demonstrated notable activities in bacterial membrane disruption, generation of reactive oxygen species, inhibition of protein synthesis, and eradication of mature biofilms. In addition, recent advances in nanotechnology-based diagnostics, including nano-biosensors, point-of-care devices, and others, are highlighted for their potential to enable rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective AMR detection. .