Nickel Nanoparticles for Wound Infection Control: Antimicrobial Activity and Therapeutic Potential

Wound infections remain a significant clinical challenge because bacterial colonization, biofilm formation, antimicrobial resistance, and prolonged inflammation can interfere with normal tissue repair. The increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant wound pathogens has encouraged the investigation of nanomaterials as alternative or complementary antimicrobial strategies. Nickel nanoparticles (NiNPs) and nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) possess physicochemical characteristics, including high surface-area-to-volume ratios and reactive surfaces, that may contribute to antimicrobial activity against clinically important microorganisms. This article reviews the antimicrobial activity and therapeutic potential of nickel-based nanoparticles in wound infection control. A literature-based methodology was employed to identify and synthesize evidence concerning nanoparticle synthesis, physicochemical characterization, antibacterial mechanisms, antibiofilm activity, wound-healing effects, and biocompatibility. Available evidence indicates that nickel-based nanoparticles can inhibit both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria through mechanisms involving reactive oxygen species generation, membrane disruption, leakage of intracellular components, interference with cellular metabolism, and, in some formulations, metal-ion-mediated toxicity. Recent experimental studies have additionally reported antibacterial and wound-healing effects of surface-modified nickel nanoparticles and nickel oxide-based nanoplatforms in infected wound models. However, the therapeutic potential of nickel nanoparticles is accompanied by important safety concerns because excessive oxidative stress and nickel-ion exposure can damage mammalian cells. Incorporation into hydrogels, polymeric dressings, or other controlled-release systems may therefore provide a strategy for improving localized activity while limiting systemic exposure. Overall, nickel nanoparticles represent a promising but still investigational platform for wound infection control, and further standardized studies involving pharmacokinetics, long-term toxicity, dose optimization, and clinical efficacy are required before routine therapeutic application.