Apart from producing high bond strength to tooth enamel and dentin, a dental adhesive with bio-therapeutic potential is clinically desirable, aiming to further improve tooth-restoration longevity. In this laboratory study, an experimental two-step universal adhesive, being referred to as Exp_2UA, applicable in both etch-and-rinse (E&R) and self-etch (SE) mode and combining a primer, containing 10-methacryloyloxydecyldihydrogen phosphate (10-MDP) as functional monomer with chemical binding potential to hydroxyapatite, with a bioglass-containing hydrophobic adhesive resin, was multifactorially investigated. In addition to primary property assessment, including measurement of bond strength, water sorption, solubility and polymerization efficiency, the resultant adhesivedentin interface was characterized by TEM, the filler composition analyzed by EDS and the adhesive's bioactive potential estimated by measuring long-term ion release and assessing its anti-enzymatic and anti-bacterial potential. Four representative commercial adhesives served as reference/controls. Application in both E&R and SE mode resulted in durable bonding performance to dentin, as evidenced by favorable 1-year aged bond-strength data and a tight interfacial ultra-structure that, as examined by TEM, remained ultra-morphologically unaltered upon 1-year water-storage aging. TEM revealed a 20-µm thick hydrophobic adhesive layer with a homogeneous bioglass filler distribution. Adequate polymerization conversion resulted in extremely low water sorption and solubility. In-situ zymography revealed reduced endogenous proteolytic activity, while Streptococcus mutans biofilm formation was inhibited. In conclusion, the three/two-step E&R/SE Exp_2UA combines high bonding potential and bond-degradation resistance with long-term ion release rendering the adhesive anti-enzymatic and anti-bacterial potential.