Topical Nanotherapeutics for Treating MRSA-Associated Skin and Soft Tissue Infection (SSTIs)

AAPS PharmSciTech. 2023 Apr 26;24(5):108. doi: 10.1208/s12249-023-02563-2.

Abstract

The emergence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) imposes a major challenge for the treatment of infectious diseases with existing antibiotics. MRSA associated with superficial skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) is one of them, affecting the skin's superficial layers, and it includes impetigo, folliculitis, cellulitis, furuncles, abscesses, surgical site infections, etc. The efficient care of superficial SSTIs caused by MRSA necessitates local administration of antibiotics, because oral antibiotics does not produce the required concentration at the local site. The topical administration of nanocarriers has been emerging in the area of drug delivery due to its advantages over conventional topical formulation. It enhances the solubility and permeation of the antibiotics into deeper layer of the skin. Apart from this, antibiotic resistance is something that needs to be combated on multiple fronts, and antibiotics encapsulated in nanocarriers help to do so by increasing the therapeutic efficacy in a number of different ways. The current review provides an overview of the resistance mechanism in S. aureus as well as various nanocarriers reported for the effective management of MRSA-associated superficial SSTIs.

Keywords: MRSA; SSTIs; Staphylococcus aureus; metallic nanoparticles; nanocarriers; resistance; topical antibiotics.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Community-Acquired Infections* / drug therapy
  • Humans
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus*
  • Soft Tissue Infections* / drug therapy
  • Staphylococcal Infections* / drug therapy
  • Staphylococcus aureus

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents