Supramolecular hydrogels for antimicrobial therapy

Abstract

The emergence of drug-resistant microbes has become a threat to global health, and microbial infections severely limit the use of healthcare materials. To achieve efficient antimicrobial therapy, supramolecular hydrogels demonstrate unprecedented advantages in medical applications due to the tunable and reversible nature of their supramolecular interactions and the capability of hydrogels to incorporate various therapeutic agents. Herein, antimicrobial hydrogels are categorized according to their inherent antimicrobial properties or based on their roles in encapsulating antimicrobial materials. Moreover, strategies to further enhance the antimicrobial efficacy of hydrogels are highlighted, such as the incorporation of antifouling agents or the enabling of response towards physiological cues. We envision that supramolecular hydrogels, in combination with modern medical technology and devices, will contribute to the development of efficient and safe systems for antimicrobial therapy.

Construction of Nanozyme‐Hydrogel for Enhanced Capture and Elimination of Bacteria

“…Moreover, due to their tunable chemical compositions, hydrogels can be empowered diversiform structure and properties . Based on these unique attributes, some hydrogels with antibacterial properties have been utilized for wound healing, implant/catheter coatings, and skin infections . Lately, due to their excellent ability to simulate the natural extracellular matrix, hydrogels have been extensively studied as 2D/3D scaffolds for drug delivery, tissue engineering, and cell culture .…”

Nanocatalytic Medicine

“…Auxotrophic bacteria rely on parasitism in other living organisms in nature to obtain essential nutrients, which may result in negative, or positive effects to the physiological activities of host organisms . For example, the prevalence of pathogenic bacteria at wounds or other susceptible interfaces can lead to infection, causing the generation of a mass of toxins that may significantly disturb the healing process . In the past century, bacterial infections have posed a serious global challenge to human health and brought heavy economic burdens to the public .…”

Going Beyond Traditional Applications? The Potential of Hydrogels

“…An impetus behind this innovation is the repurposing of sustainable and innovative soft materials originally developed for biomedical applications. [24][25][26][27][28] Hydrogels possess inherent rubbery consistency, responsiveness to external stimuli, adaptivity, tunability, high water content, low interfacial tension to human tissue, biocompatibility, and biodegradability that make them competitive in these emerging engineering applications. [29][30][31][32][33] Small Methods 2019, 3,1800270 www.small-methods.com…”