Recent advances in engineered polymeric materials for efficient photodynamic inactivation of bacterial pathogens

Nowadays,infectious diseases persist as a global crisis by causing significant destruction to public health and the economic stability of countries worldwide.Especially bacterial infections remain a most severe concern due to the prevalence and emergence of multi-drug resistance(MDR)and limitations with existing therapeutic options.Antibacterial photodynamic therapy(APDT)is a potential therapeutic modality that involves the systematic administration of photosensitizers(PSs),light,and molecular oxygen(O_(2))for coping with bacterial infections.Although the existing porphyrin and non-porphyrin PSs were effective in APDT,the poor solubility,limited efficacy against Gram-negative bacteria,and non-specific distribution hinder their clinical applications.Accordingly,to promote the efficiency of conventional PSs,various polymer-driven modification and function-alization strategies have been adopted to engineer multifunctional hybrid phototherapeutics.This review as-sesses recent advancements and state-of-the-art research in polymer-PSs hybrid materials developed for APDT applications.Further,the key research findings of the following aspects are considered in-depth with constructive discussions:i)PSs-integrated/functionalized polymeric composites through various molecular in-teractions;ii)PSs-deposited coatings on different substrates and devices to eliminate healthcare-associated in-fections;and iii)PSs-embedded films,scaffolds,and hydrogels for regenerative medicine applications.