Copper Nanomaterials as Drug Delivery System against Infectious Agents and Cancerous Cells

Pathogenic infections have raised a serious threat on public health world-wide owing to the resistance to broad spectrum antimicrobials. The emergence of multi drug resistant biofilms and non functional conventional antibiotics has directed nanotechnological advances to overcome biofilm infections as drug delivery system. Copper nanomaterials, among other metallic nanomaterials based therapies and treatments, have demonstrated their significant maximum efficacies in damaging pathogenic cells due to their higher toxic property. This review is focussed on different forms of copper nanomaterials such as copper nanoparticles, copper oxide nanoparticles and copper sulfide nanoparticles, featuring their synthesis, size, surface characteristics, dissolution, mechanism of action and toxicity, which provide valuable insights into the possible mechanism of damaging against various infectious agents and cancerous cells, as possible drug delivery system.