Magnetic Nanoparticles for the Control of Infectious Biofilms

The need of new strategies to treat biofilm infections is urgent. Infections caused by antimicrobial-resistant bacteria are predicted to become the number cause of death in 2050. Antibiotics have difficulties penetrating biofilms due to the presence of a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substances. Magnetic nanoparticles can promote antibiotic penetration under the control of an external magnetic field. Magnetically-propelled movement of magnetic nanoparticles through an infectious biofilm can increase antibiotic penetration and therewith the efficacy of clinically-approved, existing antibiotics. This is an easy, feasible and relatively cheap method to make better use of existing antibiotics and reduces the urgency to produce new ones. The results of this thesis have therewith paved the way for clinical translation.