Amphiphilic polymer therapeutics: an alternative platform in the fight against antibiotic resistant bacteria

As we are on the cusp of the post-antibiotic era due to rapid spread of drug resistant bacteria, there is an urgent need for new antimicrobials that are not susceptible to bacterial resistance mechanisms. In this review, we will discuss the recent development of polymer therapeutics with antimicrobial activity. Learning from host-defence peptides, we propose the biomimetic design of synthetic polymers to target bacterial cell membranes, which act by compromising the membrane integrity. The discussion is extended to the future challenges and opportunities of antimicrobial polymers for clinical applications.

Automated summary

This review discusses the recent development of polymer therapeutics with antimicrobial activity, focusing on the biomimetic design of synthetic polymers to target bacterial cell membranes based on host-defense peptides. The discussion also extends to the future challenges and opportunities of antimicrobial polymers for clinical applications.