Nanoconstructs Based on Cyclodextrins for Antimicrobial Applications

Nowadays, when the conventional antibiotic therapy is useless, the utilize of nanotherapeutics able to fight the antibiotic resistance and guarantee a successful outcome is a novel and established approach. Over the past two decades, nanomedicines based on cyclodextrins have been designed and investigated. Some of them are approaching to the last clinical phases, before marketing. In this contribution, the rationale relies on the already reported photo- independent/dependent strategies by using cyclodextrin (CyD) nanoconstructs to accomplish an antimicrobial effect. In general, we will focus on nano-phototherapeutics based on CyD as potential antibacterial agents in photo-antimicrobial chemiotherapy (PACT) and Photothermal Antimicrobial Therapy and on CyD nanotherapeutics entrapping and delivering antibiotic, antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal agents. In particular, along all the chapter, we will refer to the above mentioned therapeutic strategies by using the following nanosytems: i) Nanoassemblies entirely composed by CyDs (i.e. vesicles, micelles and nanospheres) and CyD-polymer conjugates; ii) Platform based on CyD-carbon nanomaterial conjugates ( i.e. carbon nanotubes or graphene derivatives); iii) Metal noble decorated CyD nanostructures including silver decorated CyD-polymers. All these nano-antimicrobial systems will be reviewed parallelly to their in vitro and/or in vivo potential