Liposomal drug delivery strategies to eradicate bacterial biofilms: Challenges, recent advances, and future perspectives

• Published in: International journal of pharmaceutics Vol. 655; p. 124046
• Main Authors: Panthi, Vijay Kumar, Fairfull-Smith, Kathryn E., Islam, Nazrul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 25.04.2024
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - chemistry; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Infective Agents - pharmacology; Antibiofilm; Antibiotics; Bacteria; Biofilms; Infections; Liposomes; Liposomes - pharmacology; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Infections; Biofilms; Antibiofilm; Liposomes; Antibiotics
• ISSN: 0378-5173; 1873-3476
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2024.124046

[Display omitted] Typical antibiotic treatments are often ineffectual against biofilm-related infections since bacteria residing within biofilms have developed various mechanisms to resist antibiotics. To overcome these limitations, antimicrobial-loaded liposomal nanoparticles are a promising anti-biofilm strategy as they have demonstrated improved antibiotic delivery and eradication of bacteria residing in biofilms. Antibiotic-loaded liposomal nanoparticles revealed remarkably higher antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities than free drugs in experimental settings. Moreover, liposomal nanoparticles can be used efficaciously for the combinational delivery of antibiotics and other antimicrobial compounds/peptide which facilitate, for instance, significant breakdown of the biofilm matrix, increased bacterial elimination from biofilms and depletion of metabolic activity of various pathogens. Drug-loaded liposomes have mitigated recurrent infections and are considered a promising tool to address challenges associated to antibiotic resistance. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that surface charge and polyethylene glycol modification of liposomes have a notable impact on their antibacterial biofilm activity. Future investigations should tackle the persistent hurdles associated with development of safe and effective liposomes for clinical application and investigate novel antibacterial treatments, including CRISPR-Cas gene editing, natural compounds, phages, and nano-mediated approaches. Herein, we emphasize the significance of liposomes in inhibition and eradication of various bacterial biofilms, their challenges, recent advances, and future perspectives.