Metal nanoparticles and consequences on multi-drug resistant bacteria: reviving their role

The most paramount challenge faced globally by the physicians is to treat the infections caused by nosocomial multi-drug resistant microorganisms. These bacteria are endowed with unique efflux pumps, which are substrate specific and a major defense mechanism for the bacteria. In fact, among various etiologies, the expulsion of antibiotics through efflux pump/s stands alone as an important factor for such resistance which these bacteria develop with time. To unravel this problem, several efflux pump inhibitors (EPI), which augment the efficacy of antibiotics, have been proposed to be administered along with antimicrobial agents nevertheless, none of them have entered in clinical use yet. In this review, we provide an overview of some of the nanoparticles postulated against multidrug resistance efflux pumps, and the inhibition strategies of EPIs action of some of the nanoparticles was searched along with EPIs which have been postulated for blocking the efflux pumps.