Polymer-Based Antibacterial Hydrogel Microneedles for Wound Healing

Antibacterial hydrogel microneedles (HMNs) have emerged as promising wound-care platforms by integrating the therapeutic versatility of hydrogels with the minimally invasive tissue penetration of microneedles. This review summarizes recent advances in antibacterial HMNs, focusing on the interplay among material composition, structural architecture, antibacterial mechanisms, and wound-specific therapeutic requirements. Natural and synthetic polymers, together with functional modification and composite strategies, are discussed in relation to mechanical integrity, biocompatibility, and drug-loading capacity. Antibacterial strategies, including antibiotic delivery, metal ion-mediated activity, photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT), reactive oxygen species (ROS) regulation, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), and biofilm-targeted approaches, are further examined from the perspectives of antibacterial mechanisms and biosafety. In addition, fabrication strategies and wound-specific applications are systematically reviewed. Based on these advances, a pathology-oriented design framework is proposed to guide the rational coordination of material selection, functionalization, structural engineering, and spatiotemporally controlled delivery. Finally, key challenges in biosafety, standardized evaluation, scalable manufacturing, sterilization, and clinical translation are discussed. This review provides a framework for the rational development of clinically relevant and multifunctional antibacterial HMNs for advanced wound management.