Beyond antibiotics: novel solutions to address antibacterial resistance

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in antibacterial resistance, leading to a decline in the effectiveness of antibiotic drugs. This situation underscores the urgent need to explore suitable alternatives to antibiotics. To address this global challenge, it is crucial to understand new approaches, including their mechanisms, advantages, and limitations, which can help in the design of effective substitutes for antibiotics. Extensive research in this field has yielded notable progress. This review article aims to summarize innovative strategies for combating antibacterial resistance, such as metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), metal nanoparticles, photodynamic therapy (PDT), and antibacterial peptides. Additionally, the article discusses examples of their effectiveness and applications. Further research has also focused on combining these methods to enhance their efficiency, with some relevant studies highlighted. It is hoped that in the future, these materials will serve as replacements for current drugs, ultimately resolving the issue of antibacterial resistance.