Teo Michelle Zhi Yee, Loo Hooi Leong, Goh Bey Hing, Chuah Lay Hong
School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya, Selangor, 47500, Malaysia.
Sunway Biofunctional Molecules Discovery Centre (SBMDC), Faculty of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Sunway City, Selangor, Malaysia.
Drug Deliv Transl Res. 2025 Jul 19. doi: 10.1007/s13346-025-01924-7.
The accelerating rate of antibiotic resistance has always been one of the leading causes of increased skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) burden around the globe. Current treatments mainly focus on systemic antibiotics indicated for both uncomplicated and complicated SSTIs that act as a contributing factor secondary to widespread systemic exposure. Topical formulation of antibacterial agents or antibiotics are renowned for their targeted and localised action in the skin which appears as an intriguing clue to the resistance problem. Nevertheless, there are several deterrents associated with conventional topical formulations including drug permeability and skin retention. This has propelled the transformation of SSTI intervention towards the incorporation of nanotechnology to enhance topical drug delivery for SSTIs. This review outlines the advancement of nanoparticle-based topical formulations against SSTIs, covering cellulitis and erysipelas, boils and carbuncles, impetigo, cutaneous non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections and leprosy, as well as pitted keratolysis. Pre-clinical safety profile and antibacterial efficacy of topical nanoformulations were comprehensively reviewed and classified into multiple categories such as metal nanoparticles, emulsion-based nanosystems, nanovesicles, lipid nanoparticles and polymeric nanoparticles. The up-to-date patent trends on topical nanoformulations for SSTIs up to 2025 were also analysed and justified based on current evidence to pinpoint the research gap and future prospects in this growing area of research. It is anticipated that topical nanoformulations can potentially stand in for conventional topical formulations to treat SSTIs attributed to their pronounced antibacterial activity and tolerability.
抗生素耐药率的加速上升一直是全球皮肤和软组织感染（SSTIs）负担增加的主要原因之一。目前的治疗主要集中在用于治疗单纯性和复杂性SSTIs的全身用抗生素，这是广泛全身暴露后的一个次要促成因素。抗菌剂或抗生素的局部制剂因其在皮肤中的靶向和局部作用而闻名，这似乎是解决耐药问题的一个有趣线索。然而，传统局部制剂存在一些阻碍，包括药物渗透性和皮肤滞留性。这推动了SSTIs干预向纳入纳米技术的转变，以增强SSTIs的局部药物递送。本综述概述了基于纳米颗粒的局部制剂在治疗SSTIs方面的进展，涵盖蜂窝织炎和丹毒、疖和痈、脓疱病、皮肤非结核分枝杆菌感染和麻风病，以及窝状角质松解症。对局部纳米制剂的临床前安全性和抗菌效果进行了全面综述，并分为多个类别，如金属纳米颗粒、乳液基纳米系统、纳米囊泡、脂质纳米颗粒和聚合物纳米颗粒。还分析了截至2025年SSTIs局部纳米制剂的最新专利趋势，并根据现有证据进行了论证，以确定这一不断发展的研究领域的研究差距和未来前景。预计局部纳米制剂因其显著的抗菌活性和耐受性，有可能替代传统局部制剂来治疗SSTIs。
