Nanomaterials and molecular transporters to overcome the bacterial envelope barrier: Towards advanced delivery of antibiotics

With the dramatic consequences of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, nanomaterials and molecular transporters have started to be investigated as alternative antibacterials or anti-infective carrier systems to improve the internalization of bactericidal drugs. However, the capability of nanomaterials/molecular transporters to overcome the bacterial cell envelope is poorly understood. It is critical to consider the sophisticated architecture of bacterial envelopes and reflect how nanomaterials/molecular transporters can interact with these envelopes, being the major aim of this review. The first part of this manuscript overviews the permeability of bacterial envelopes and how it limits the internalization of common antibiotic and novel oligonucleotide drugs. Subsequently we critically discuss the mechanisms that allow nanomaterials/molecular transporters to overcome the bacterial envelopes, focusing on the most promising ones to this end - siderophores, cyclodextrins, metal nanoparticles, antimicrobial/cell-penetrating peptides and fusogenic liposomes. This review may stimulate drug delivery and microbiology scientists in designing effective nanomaterials/molecular transporters against bacterial infections.