Nitric Oxide-Releasing Gels in the Context of Antimicrobial Stewardship, Biofilm Management, and Wound-Repair Biology

Topical antibiotics have long been used for the prevention and treatment of superficial skin and soft tissue infections; however, increasing evidence indicates that their clinical value is undermined by rising antimicrobial resistance, high rates of allergic sensitization, inadequate activity against biofilms, and a lack of wound-healing properties. Agents such as bacitracin, neomycin, polymyxin B, mupirocin, and fusidic acid act through narrow, target-specific mechanisms that facilitate resistance selection and provide limited benefit in chronic or polymicrobial wound environments. Contemporary antimicrobial stewardship frameworks therefore discourage routine use of topical antibiotics and increasingly favor non-antibiotic antiseptics with broad-spectrum activity and low resistance risk, including silver, iodine, polyhexamethylene biguanide, octenidine, and medical-grade honey. These modalities, however, primarily serve to reduce microbial burden and do not directly address the underlying biological impairments that prevent healing. Nitric oxide-releasing gels (NORGs) represent a novel class of topical antimicrobials that combine multi-target bactericidal activity with physiologic pro-healing effects. Nitric oxide exerts potent antimicrobial and antibiofilm effects via oxidative and nitrosative stress, disruption of metabolic pathways, inhibition of DNA replication, and interference with quorum sensing. Simultaneously, nitric oxide enhances angiogenesis, modulates inflammation, improves microvascular perfusion, and promotes fibroblast and keratinocyte function. Preclinical models and early-phase clinical studies demonstrate broad-spectrum efficacy—including activity against multidrug-resistant organisms—with favorable tolerability and minimal risk of resistance development. Although the current evidence base remains preliminary, NORGs offer a promising antimicrobial platform with the potential to reduce reliance on topical antibiotics while simultaneously addressing key barriers to wound healing. Larger randomized controlled trials, direct comparisons with established advanced dressings, and robust pharmacoeconomic evaluations are needed to define their optimal role within stewardship-aligned wound-care practice.