Progress in Designing Therapeutic Antimicrobial Hydrogels Targeting Implant‐associated Infections: Paving the Way for a Sustainable Platform Applied to Biomedical Devices

Abstract

Implantable biomedical devices have found widespread use in restoring lost functions or structures within the human body, but they face a significant challenge from microbial-related infections, which often lead to implant failure. In this context, antimicrobial hydrogels emerge as a promising strategy for treating implant-associated infections owing to their tunable physicochemical properties. However, the literature lacks a comprehensive analysis of antimicrobial hydrogels, encompassing their development, mechanisms, and effect on implant-associated infections, mainly in light of existing in vitro, in vivo, and clinical evidence. Thus, this review addresses the strategies employed by existing studies to tailor hydrogel properties to meet the specific needs of each application. Furthermore, this comprehensive review critically appraises the development of antimicrobial hydrogels, with a particular focus on solving infections related to metallic orthopedic or dental implants. Then, preclinical and clinical studies centering on providing quantitative microbiological results associated with the application of antimicrobial hydrogels are systematically summarized. Overall, antimicrobial hydrogels benefit from the tunable properties of polymers and hold promise as an effective strategy for the local treatment of implant-associated infections. However, future clinical investigations, grounded on robust evidence from in vitro and preclinical studies, are required to explore and validate new antimicrobial hydrogels for clinical use.