Synthesis, Self-Assembly, and Biomedical Applications of Antimicrobial Peptide–Polymer Conjugates

• Published in: Biomacromolecules Vol. 19; no. 6; pp. 1701 - 1720
• Main Authors: Sun, Hui, Hong, Yuanxiu, Xi, Yuejing, Zou, Yijie, Gao, Jingyi, Du, Jianzhong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 11.06.2018
• Subjects: Anti-Infective Agents - chemical synthesis; Anti-Infective Agents - pharmacology; antibacterial properties; antibiotic resistance; Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides - chemistry; Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides - pharmacology; antimicrobial peptides; bacteria; Bandages; biomedical materials; coatings; cytotoxicity; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Humans; hydrogels; inflammation; medical treatment; Micelles; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; multiple drug resistance; nanomaterials; Nanostructures - chemistry; Polymerization; polymers; Polymers - chemical synthesis; Polymers - chemistry; Prostheses and Implants; tissue engineering; Tissue Engineering - instrumentation; Tissue Engineering - methods; Wound Healing
• ISSN: 1525-7797; 1526-4602; 1526-4602
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.8b00208

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been attracting much attention due to their excellent antimicrobial efficiency and low rate in driving antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which has been increasing globally to alarming levels. Conjugation of AMPs into functional polymers not only preserves excellent antimicrobial activities but reduces the toxicity and offers more functionalities, which brings new insight toward developing multifunctional biomedical materials such as hydrogels, polymer vesicles, polymer micelles, and so forth. These nanomaterials have been exhibiting excellent antimicrobial activity against a broad spectrum of bacteria including multidrug-resistant (MDR) ones, high selectivity, and low cytotoxicity, suggesting promising potentials in wound dressing, implant coating, antibiofilm, tissue engineering, and so forth. This Perspective seeks to highlight the state-of-the-art strategy for the synthesis, self-assembly, and biomedical applications of AMP–polymer conjugates and explore the promising directions for future research ranging from synthetic strategies, multistage and stimuli-responsive antibacterial activities, antifungi applications, and potentials in elimination of inflammation during medical treatment. It also will provide perspectives on how to stem the remaining challenges and unresolved problems in combating bacteria, including MDR ones.