Bacterial Programmed Cell Death Induced by Nanotherapeutic Strategies

Programmed cell death (PCD) is crucial for cell renewal, embryogenesis, the immune response, tissue growth regulation, and other essential biological processes. Recent evidence underscores the potential of harnessing PCD to combat bacterial infections, particularly in eradicating antibiotic-resistant superbugs. Extensive efforts have been devoted to developing PCD-mediated anti-infective agents by drawing insights from materials science, chemistry, immunology, and microbiology. In this review, the challenges in addressing bacterial infections and the potential of PCD-based approaches to revolutionize treatment are first summarized and discussed. Then, a comprehensive examination of PCD-mediated nanoantibacterial therapy, encompassing various pathways, such as bacterial apoptosis, ferroptosis, cuproptosis, immunogenic cell death, NETosis, autophagy, and pyroptosis, is provided. Finally, the barriers and prospects of PCD-driven antimicrobial strategies are explored.