title: Magnetite nanostructures as novel strategies for anti-infectious therapy.
abstract: This review highlights the current situation of antimicrobial resistance and the use of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) in developing novel routes for fighting infectious diseases. The most important two directions developed recently are: (i) improved delivery of antimicrobial compounds based on a drastic decrease of the minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) of the drug used independently; and (ii) inhibition of microbial attachment and biofilm development on coated medical surfaces. These new directions represent promising alternatives in the development of new strategies to eradicate and prevent microbial infections that involve resistant and biofilm-embedded bacteria. Recent promising applications of MNPs, as the development of delivery nanocarriers and improved nanovehicles for the therapy of different diseases are discussed, together with the mechanisms of microbial inhibition.
authors.affiliation: Nanophysics Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), via Morego 30, Genova 16163, Italy. ioannis.liakos@iit.it.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Liakos
authors.affiliation: Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Polizu Street No. 1-7, Bucharest 011061, Romania. grumezescu@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Alexandru Mihai
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Grumezescu
authors.affiliation: Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Polizu Street No. 1-7, Bucharest 011061, Romania. alina_m_h@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Alina Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Holban
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects*; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles