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Review
. 2023 Jul 29;9(8):617.
doi: 10.3390/gels9080617.

Unraveling the New Perspectives on Antimicrobial Hydrogels: State-of-the-Art and Translational Applications

Miguel A Ortega  1   2 , Diego De Leon-Oliva  1   2 , Diego Liviu Boaru  1   2 , Oscar Fraile-Martinez  1   2 , Cielo García-Montero  1   2 , Raul Diaz  2   3 , Santiago Coca  1   2 , Silvestra Barrena-Blázquez  1   2   4 , Julia Bujan  1   2 , Natalio García-Honduvilla  1   2 , Miguel A Saez  1   2   5 , Melchor Álvarez-Mon  1   2   6 , Jose V Saz  2   7
Affiliations
Review

Unraveling the New Perspectives on Antimicrobial Hydrogels: State-of-the-Art and Translational Applications

Miguel A Ortega et al. Gels. .

Abstract

The growing impact of infections and the rapid emergence of antibiotic resistance represent a public health concern worldwide. The exponential development in the field of biomaterials and its multiple applications can offer a solution to the problems that derive from these situations. In this sense, antimicrobial hydrogels represent a promising opportunity with multiple translational expectations in the medical management of infectious diseases due to their unique physicochemical and biological properties as well as for drug delivery in specific areas. Hydrogels are three-dimensional cross-linked networks of hydrophilic polymers that can absorb and retain large amounts of water or biological fluids. Moreover, antimicrobial hydrogels (AMH) present good biocompatibility, low toxicity, availability, viscoelasticity, biodegradability, and antimicrobial properties. In the present review, we collect and discuss the most promising strategies in the development of AMH, which are divided into hydrogels with inherent antimicrobial activity and antimicrobial agent-loaded hydrogels based on their composition. Then, we present an overview of the main translational applications: wound healing, tissue engineering and regeneration, drug delivery systems, contact lenses, 3D printing, biosensing, and water purification.

Keywords: antibiotics; antimicrobial gels; drug delivery; tissue regeneration; wound healing.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Classification of hydrogels by different criteria.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Translational application of antimicrobial hydrogels in biomedicine.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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