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Recent Advances in Designing Antimicrobial Polymers with Diverse Uptake and Killing Mechanisms
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DOI：10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2026.102080.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
Antimicrobial resistance has escalated into a critical global health threat, with multidrug-resistant bacteria and fungi undermining the effectiveness of conventional small-molecule antibiotics. Antimicrobial polymers have emerged as a versatile class of antimicrobials, offering structural modularity, tunable physicochemical properties and biological activity. This review summarizes recent advances in peptide-mimetic polymers, glycosylated polymers, main-chain cationic polymers, non-charged polymers, polymer-drug combinations, as well as their diverse uptake pathways and killing mechanisms, with a focus on translationally relevant design principles. Key strategies include backbone engineering and polymeric-drug combinations to maximize antimicrobial efficacy without compromising host compatibility; glycosylation and non-charged polymers to enhance stability and bioavailability; fully degradable designs to ensure safety and environmental sustainability; and engineering polymers with diverse uptake pathways and multi-target mechanisms that enable effective activity against multidrug-resistant pathogens and minimize the risk of resistance development. Advances in controlled polymerization and modular synthesis address the challenges of scalability, reproducibility, and regulatory compliance. Moreover, the integration of AI-guided rational molecular design, high-throughput library synthesis, and rapid platforms for biological activity evaluation is expected to accelerate the discovery and clinical translation of antimicrobial polymers.
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26.1
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1.4K
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3.0W
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