title: Nanoparticulate platforms for targeting bone infections: meeting a major therapeutic challenge.
abstract: Bone infections are devastating complications in orthopedics due to biofilm formation. Treatment requires high antibiotic doses, which may lead to systemic toxicity thus limiting the drug therapeutic effectiveness. In this context, nanoparticles are well-known controlled release drug carriers that are able to modulate release rate, versatile in terms of administration routes and may be used as local delivery systems. Regarding bone infections, although nanoparticles are a promising strategy for overcoming biofilm tolerance, there are clearly technical, safety, regulatory and clinical challenges that need to be overcome before such nanomedicines may be translated into clinical use. In this paper, we present a critical overview on the high expectations against the real potential of the nanotechnological approaches to bone infection treatment.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1649-004 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Inês
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Santos-Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1649-004 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bettencourt
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1649-004 Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: António J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Almeida
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006801:Humans; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004337:Drug Carriers
keywords: antibiotics; bone infection; in situ delivery; nanoparticles