Optimizing Anti-Infective Therapy: Nanocarrier Delivery, Dosing Strategies, and Antimicrobial Stewardship

Antimicrobial resistance and inadequate drug exposure at infection sites continue to compromise the clinical success of anti-infective therapies. While the characterization of molecular resistance mechanisms receives substantial attention, critical bottlenecks persist in the translational pipeline: formulating delivery systems that reach target tissues, establishing model-informed dosing regimens, and implementing robust pharmacological stewardship. This Research Topic addresses this gap across the full spectrum of anti-infective agents, including antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antiparasitic compounds.Nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems, including liposomal, lipid, and polymeric nanoparticles, offer promising routes to improve tissue biodistribution, cellular uptake, and local bioavailability. These platforms are particularly valuable for treating intracellular and tissue-sequestered pathogens where conventional formulations yield sub-therapeutic concentrations. In parallel, model-informed precision dosing (MIPD) and physiologically based pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PBPK/PD) modeling provide rational strategies to individualize dosing regimens in vulnerable or complex patient populations, such as critically ill individuals, pediatric cohorts, and patients affected by polypharmacy or organ dysfunction. Alongside formulation and dosing innovations, pharmacological stewardship, including therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) and targeted combination strategies, remains vital to preserve drug longevity and suppress the emergence of resistant strains.This Research Topic welcomes Original Research, Brief Research Reports, and Reviews focusing on:• Design, formulation, and preclinical evaluation of nanocarrier and targeted delivery systems for antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antiparasitic agents.• PK/PD modeling, PBPK/PD simulations, and precision dosing optimization in special and understudied patient populations.• Pharmacological strategies to overcome resistance and penetration barriers in challenging infections, with particular interest in intracellular, mucosal, and sexually transmitted pathogens, including Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma species, and Treponema pallidum.• Pharmacological stewardship frameworks, including therapeutic drug monitoring, mechanistic evaluation of drug-drug interactions, and regimen adaptation to minimize toxicity and resistance.Out of scope: Studies focusing exclusively on molecular resistance genetics without a pharmacological, delivery, or PK/PD component fall outside the scope of this collection. In accordance with the policies of the Pharmacology of Infectious Diseases section, meta-analyses, purely retrospective clinical audits, and public health or administrative surveys without pharmacological endpoints will not be considered. Topic editors: Gautam Kumar, Abdulmuminu Isah, Chuan Wang Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84296/optimizing-anti-infective-therapy-nanocarrier-delivery-dosing-strategies-and-antimicrobial-stewardship