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Novel Synthetic and Natural Materials for Fighting the Global Challenge of Antimicrobial Resistance

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Advanced Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2021) | Viewed by 5387

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Biology, Microbiology Department and the Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, ICUB, Bucharest, Romania
Interests: antibiotic resistance—mechanisms; epidemiology; reservoirs; antimicrobial strategies; microbial virulence and pathogenicity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

According to the 2016 World Bank Group Report, by 2050, the economic damage caused by drug-resistant infections could cause a 1.1% to 3.8% fall in the annual global GDP and global real exports, a healthcare cost increase of $300 billion to >$1 trillion/year, and a decrease in the global livestock production of 2.6%–7.5%/year, pushing up to 28 million people, mostly in developing countries, into poverty. As the market of nanomedicines is set to reach $400 billion by 2019, bionanomaterials could represent promising leads for developing new strategies to prevent, treat, and eradicate microbial infections produced by resistant pathogens. Nanobiomaterials could exhibit intrinsic antimicrobial activity, have additive or synergic effects with antibiotics or other antimicrobials, be used for drug delivery and targeted release to the site of infection, and prevent bacterial attachment and biofilm development. However, there is a huge discrepancy between the number of studies reporting the design of novel antimicrobial bio-nanomaterials and of those using in vivo models or including cytotoxicity assays for validating the respective bionanomaterials.

This Special Issue will present the current advances in developing novel antimicrobials, but also the challenges for translating them into clinical practice. In this regard, original research and review papers dealing with the physicochemical properties conditioning the antimicrobial activity of novel antimicrobials, including, but not limited to, nanomedicines, critical design criteria for the safe application of the novel antimicrobials, successful drug carriers and release system preparation, in vivo evaluation of the pharmacokinetic behavior of antimicrobials and analysis of their organ‐ and tissue‐level distribution, as well as nanomaterial modification for increasing their efficacy and biocompatibility are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Mariana Carmen Chifiriuc
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Bacterial and fungal infections
  • Antimicrobial resistance
  • Antimicrobial and antiviral activity
  • Bionanomaterials
  • Drug delivery systems
  • Bionanomedicines toxicology
  • In vitro and in vivo models
  • Biocompatibility
  • Clinical studies

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 5219 KiB  
Article
Anti-biofilm Fe3O4@C18-[1,3,4]thiadiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidin-4-ium-2-thiolate Derivative Core-shell Nanocoatings
by Rodica Olar, Mihaela Badea, Cătălin Maxim, Alexandru Mihai Grumezescu, Coralia Bleotu, Luminiţa Măruţescu and Mariana Carmen Chifiriuc
Materials 2020, 13(20), 4640; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13204640 - 17 Oct 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1825
Abstract
The derivatives 5,7-dimethyl[1,3,4]thiadiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidin-4-ium-2-thiolate (1) and 7-methyl-5-phenyl[1,3,4]thiadiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidin-4-ium-2-thiolate (2) were fully characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Their supramolecular structure is built through both π–π stacking and C=S–π interactions for both compounds. The embedment of the tested compounds [...] Read more.
The derivatives 5,7-dimethyl[1,3,4]thiadiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidin-4-ium-2-thiolate (1) and 7-methyl-5-phenyl[1,3,4]thiadiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidin-4-ium-2-thiolate (2) were fully characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Their supramolecular structure is built through both π–π stacking and C=S–π interactions for both compounds. The embedment of the tested compounds into Fe3O4@C18 core-shell nanocoatings increased the protection degree against Candida albicans biofilms on the catheter surface, suggesting that these bioactive nanocoatings could be further developed as non-cytotoxic strategies for fighting biofilm-associated fungal infections. Full article
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12 pages, 6307 KiB  
Article
Assessment of the Impact of the Addition of Nanoparticles on the Properties of Glass–Ionomer Cements
by Elizabeta Gjorgievska, John W. Nicholson, Dragana Gabrić, Zeynep Asli Guclu, Ivana Miletić and Nichola J. Coleman
Materials 2020, 13(2), 276; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13020276 - 08 Jan 2020
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 3013
Abstract
The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of incorporation of Al2O3, ZrO2 and TiO2 nanoparticles into glass–ionomer cements (GICs). Two different GICs were used in the study. Four groups were prepared for each material: [...] Read more.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of incorporation of Al2O3, ZrO2 and TiO2 nanoparticles into glass–ionomer cements (GICs). Two different GICs were used in the study. Four groups were prepared for each material: the control group (without nanoparticles) and three groups modified by the incorporation of nanoparticles at 2, 5 or 10 wt %, respectively. Cements were mixed and placed in moulds (4 mm × 6 mm); after setting, the samples were stored in saline (one day and one week). Compressive strengths were measured and the morphology of the fractured surfaces was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. The elements released into the storage solutions were determined by Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Addition of nanoparticles was found to alter the appearance of cements as examined by scanning electron microscopy. Compressive strength increased with the addition of ZrO2 and especially TiO2 nanoparticles, whereas the addition of Al2O3 nanoparticles generally weakened the cements. The ion release profile of the modified cements was the same in all cases. The addition of Al2O3, ZrO2 and TiO2 nanoparticles into GICs is beneficial, since it leads to reduction of the microscopic voids in the set cement. Of these, the use of ZrO2 and TiO2 nanoparticles also led to increased compressive strength. Nanoparticles did not release detectable levels of ions (Al, Zr or Ti), which makes them suitable for clinical use. Full article
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