Liposomes as Efficient Drug Delivery Vehicles to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a growing global health threat, placing a significant economic burden on healthcare systems and jeopardizing public health. The rise of multidrug-resistant bacteria has compromised the efficacy of traditional antibiotics, emphasizing the critical need for innovative approaches to combat AMR. Liposomal delivery systems have emerged as promising solutions, capitalizing on their capacity to encapsulate a diverse range of drugs, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. These phospholipid bilayer-based nanoscale vesicles enable the encapsulation of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic medications, offering versatility in drug delivery. Liposomes, with modifiable surfaces for enhanced targeting and cellular uptake, prove ideal for delivering antibiotics directly to infection sites, minimizing adverse effects, and mitigating AMR development. Recent studies highlight the superior effectiveness of liposomal antibiotic formulations against drug-resistant bacteria compared to traditional antibiotics. Moreover, liposomes contribute to reduced antibiotic administration frequency, improved patient compliance, and enhanced medication stability, leading to cost savings in healthcare. Despite these advantages, challenges like rapid drug leakage from liposomes due to poor stability hinder their broader biological application. To address this, researchers are exploring surface modifications, such as fusing liposomes with various substances, with a particular focus on chitosan-liposome-based systems. This chapter delves into the development of diverse chitosan-liposome-based systems and their potential biological applications, emphasizing the need for further research to optimize liposome formulations and unlock their full therapeutic potential in combating AMR.