{"title":"Polymyxin B delivery systems: smart solutions for improved antibacterial activity and reduced toxicity.","authors":"Ying Cheng, Mingdong Yang, Bin Lin, Wei Hu, Yangmin Hu, Haibin Dai, Junjun Xu","doi":"10.1080/1061186X.2025.2527859","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Polymyxin B (PMB) serves as the last-line drug for treating multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections. However, its clinical application is limited due to significant nephrotoxicity and neurotoxicity. In recent years, smart drug delivery systems have emerged as a research hotspot, aiming to optimise the functions and therapeutic effects of PMB. This article systematically reviews the structural characteristics and antibacterial mechanisms of PMB, as well as the challenges it faces in treating drug-resistant bacterial infections. The progress in smart delivery strategies for PMB is also discussed, including multidrug-resistant delivery, anti-biofilm technologies, targeted delivery, local administration, and synergistic treatment strategies. These strategies offer new directions for the precise treatment of PMB by increasing local drug concentration, reducing toxicity, enhancing the antibacterial spectrum, and inhibiting drug resistance.</p>","PeriodicalId":15573,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Drug Targeting","volume":" ","pages":"1-16"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Drug Targeting","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/1061186X.2025.2527859","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PHARMACOLOGY & PHARMACY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Polymyxin B (PMB) serves as the last-line drug for treating multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections. However, its clinical application is limited due to significant nephrotoxicity and neurotoxicity. In recent years, smart drug delivery systems have emerged as a research hotspot, aiming to optimise the functions and therapeutic effects of PMB. This article systematically reviews the structural characteristics and antibacterial mechanisms of PMB, as well as the challenges it faces in treating drug-resistant bacterial infections. The progress in smart delivery strategies for PMB is also discussed, including multidrug-resistant delivery, anti-biofilm technologies, targeted delivery, local administration, and synergistic treatment strategies. These strategies offer new directions for the precise treatment of PMB by increasing local drug concentration, reducing toxicity, enhancing the antibacterial spectrum, and inhibiting drug resistance.
期刊介绍:
Journal of Drug Targeting publishes papers and reviews on all aspects of drug delivery and targeting for molecular and macromolecular drugs including the design and characterization of carrier systems (whether colloidal, protein or polymeric) for both vitro and/or in vivo applications of these drugs.
Papers are not restricted to drugs delivered by way of a carrier, but also include studies on molecular and macromolecular drugs that are designed to target specific cellular or extra-cellular molecules. As such the journal publishes results on the activity, delivery and targeting of therapeutic peptides/proteins and nucleic acids including genes/plasmid DNA, gene silencing nucleic acids (e.g. small interfering (si)RNA, antisense oligonucleotides, ribozymes, DNAzymes), as well as aptamers, mononucleotides and monoclonal antibodies and their conjugates. The diagnostic application of targeting technologies as well as targeted delivery of diagnostic and imaging agents also fall within the scope of the journal. In addition, papers are sought on self-regulating systems, systems responsive to their environment and to external stimuli and those that can produce programmed, pulsed and otherwise complex delivery patterns.