Infectious diseases are increasingly becoming a major health concern
annually afflicting millions of humans worldwide. Presently, the greatest challenge to
any successful effective treatment of a particular pathogen is the emergence of drugresistance,
less bioavailability and non-specificity of potent antibiotics at the target
sites, requiring large doses of medicine over a longer period of time, resulting in
maximum toxicity to patients. However, drug delivery is a powerful concept in
nanomedicine which is constantly growing at a burgeoning pace, could provide an
efficient alternative to target any pathogens at any site in the body using advanced
combined nanoparticle platforms or nanocarriers with fewer side effects. Significantly,
nanotherapeutics could be administered through various specific routes such as oral,
parenteral, and topical for effective treatment.
In summary, this chapter would highlight the role of targeted antibiotics as an
advancement of future nanomedicine over conventional therapeutics against virulent
infectious diseases.
Keywords: Antimicrobial, Bioavailability, Biofilm, Infection, Metallic, Nanoparticles,
Photodynamic therapy, Photothermal therapy, Resistance, Targeted.
