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Pharmaceutics
Special Issues
Recent Advances in Antimicrobial Drug Delivery
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Recent Advances in Antimicrobial Drug Delivery

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Drug Delivery and Controlled Release".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2026 | Viewed by 2045

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sourav Das

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Molecular Medicine Research Group, Szentágothai Research Center, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
Interests: nanotechnology; microbial biofilms; fluorescence; natural products; free radicals; circulating tumor cells
Prof. Dr. Tamás Kőszegi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
Interests: luminescence spectroscopy; toxins; antimicrobial formulations; free radicals; in vitro fertilization markers; circulating tumor cells

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The growing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance presents a major challenge to global health, driving the urgent need for innovative drug delivery strategies. This Special Issue aims to highlight recent advances in the development and optimization of antimicrobial delivery systems, encompassing novel formulations, targeted delivery approaches, and nanotechnology-based solutions. We welcome original research articles and reviews that explore cutting-edge methods to enhance the efficacy, bioavailability, and safety of antimicrobial agents. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, nanoparticle-mediated delivery, stimuli-responsive systems, surface modifications, controlled-release technologies, and strategies for overcoming microbial resistance. By bringing together multidisciplinary insights from chemistry, biology, materials science, and pharmaceutical technology, this Special Issue seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of current progress and future directions in antimicrobial drug delivery. Contributions that identify knowledge gaps and propose innovative solutions are particularly encouraged.

Dr. Sourav Das
Prof. Dr. Tamás Kőszegi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmaceutics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • antimicrobial drug delivery
  • nanoparticles
  • controlled release
  • targeted therapy
  • antimicrobial resistance
  • nanomedicine
  • smart drug delivery systems
  • surface modification
  • biofilm treatment
  • advanced drug delivery strategies

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

53 pages, 12137 KB  
Article
A Multi-Target Nitrogen-Fused Azole Drug Platform Derived from a Pyrazoline-Thiadiazole Moiety: In Vivo Antimicrobial Validation and Comprehensive Anticancer Investigation Supported by Computational Studies
by Hagar S. El-Hema, Marwa A. Abed, Mohamed A. Hawata, Eman S. Nossier, Najla A. Altwaijry, Asmaa Saleh, Mariam Hassan, Rasha A. Hashem, Modather F. Hussein, Ahmed T. Elhendawy and Adel A.-H. Abdel-Rahman
Pharmaceutics 2026, 18(4), 424; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics18040424 - 30 Mar 2026
Viewed by 628
Abstract
Background: Cancer patients are highly susceptible to microbial infections due to immune suppression, necessitating therapeutic strategies that integrate anticancer efficacy with effective antimicrobial intervention. Chalcone-derived nitrogen-fused heterocycles represent a promising platform for developing multi-target agents with relevance to antimicrobial drug delivery, particularly for [...] Read more.
Background: Cancer patients are highly susceptible to microbial infections due to immune suppression, necessitating therapeutic strategies that integrate anticancer efficacy with effective antimicrobial intervention. Chalcone-derived nitrogen-fused heterocycles represent a promising platform for developing multi-target agents with relevance to antimicrobial drug delivery, particularly for localized infections. Methods: A series of chalcone-based pyrazoline-thiadiazole nitrogen-fused azole hybrids was synthesized via thiosemicarbohydrazide-functionalized intermediates and fully characterized. Antiproliferative activity was evaluated against MCF-7, HepG-2, HeLa, and HCT-116 cell lines, alongside selectivity toward WI-38 normal fibroblasts. Antibacterial, antibiofilm, and in vivo efficacy were assessed against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA USA300) and Acinetobacter baumannii AB5057. Mechanistic investigations included cell-cycle analysis, apoptosis assays, ERK2, RIPK3, p53, BAX/Bcl-2 quantification, DNA gyrase inhibition, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, and density functional theory calculations. Results: Compound 13 exhibited potent cytotoxicity, particularly against MCF-7 (IC50 = 3.87 ± 0.2 µM), outperforming doxorubicin (IC50 = 4.17 ± 0.2 µM), with high selectivity indices (SI = 10.7 for MCF-7). Mechanistically, compound 13 induced G2/M arrest (40.16% vs. 14.15% control), increased apoptosis to 32.89%, up-regulated ERK2 (3.17-fold), RIPK3 (11.97-fold), and p53 (3.54-fold), and markedly increased the BAX/Bcl-2 ratio (~42-fold). Compounds 7 and 13 displayed bactericidal activity against MRSA and A. baumannii (MIC/MBC = 10 mg/mL), potent antibiofilm effects, and significant in vivo efficacy in an MRSA skin infection model. Compound 13 reduced bacterial load by ~5 log units, outperforming vancomycin. DNA gyrase inhibition (IC50 = 17.10 ± 0.17 µM) and computational studies supported target engagement. Conclusions: Pyrazoline-thiadiazole-based nitrogen-fused azole hybrids, particularly compound 13, demonstrated quantifiable anticancer and antimicrobial efficacy with strong in vivo validation, supporting their potential as multi-target candidates relevant to antimicrobial drug delivery in infection-prone cancer patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Antimicrobial Drug Delivery)
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25 pages, 5138 KB  
Article
Tailorable Antibacterial Activity and Biofilm Eradication Properties of Biocompatible α-Hydroxy Acid-Based Deep Eutectic Solvents
by Gleb Dubinenko, Elena Senkina, Ksenia Golovina, Alexandra Myshova, Olga Igumnova, Evgenii Plotnikov, Arsalan Badaraev, Sven Rutkowski, Victor Filimonov and Sergei Tverdokhlebov
Pharmaceutics 2026, 18(1), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics18010016 - 22 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 945
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have recently gained attention for their antimicrobial properties, particularly because they target both planktonic bacteria and biofilms. Among these, DESs based on α-hydroxy acids (αHAs) are of interest due to their inherent antibacterial properties and favorable biocompatibility. [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have recently gained attention for their antimicrobial properties, particularly because they target both planktonic bacteria and biofilms. Among these, DESs based on α-hydroxy acids (αHAs) are of interest due to their inherent antibacterial properties and favorable biocompatibility. However, effects of the αHA molecular structure and hydrogen bonding ability within a DES formulation on biological activity has not yet been thoroughly investigated. Methods: This study systematically investigates DESs formed by combining glycolic acid, lactic acid or tartaric acid with either choline chloride or tetraethylammonium chloride. Results: All DESs demonstrate broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and effectively inhibit biofilm formation while exhibiting low cytotoxicity toward 3T3-L1 fibroblasts. Conclusions: DES formation enhances antibacterial efficacy while attenuating cytotoxicity compared to the individual components, thereby decoupling bactericidal activity from toxicity. Physicochemical characterization confirms the formation of a eutectic phase and reveals that biological activity is primarily governed by acidity rather than by the specific αHA structure or eutectic strength. These results provide new insights into structure-function relationships in DESs and establish a design strategy for biocompatible, non-cytotoxic antimicrobial agents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Antimicrobial Drug Delivery)
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