Fig. 4

a Formation of a stimuli-responsive nanoantibiotics particle: a combined system can be created by combining conventional antibiotics with nanoantibiotics. Stimuli response can aid in the synergistic efficacy by allowing a particle to display multiple therapeutic effect based on the stimulus applied. b Proposed therapeutic effect of stimuli-responsive nanoantibiotics against intracellular infection. To target intracellular microbes, conventional antibiotics are combined with nanoantibiotics with stimuli response. Upon endocytosis, these stimuli-responsive nanoantibiotics (sr-nAbts) are triggered to release after certain environmental triggers. With pH triggered release, the particle unpacks to escape the endosome, target the microbe with 1 drug and nAbts. Based on the infection, a second trigger can release another drug and use an additional nAbts mechanism