The versatility of carbohydrates in antimicrobial applications

The worsening situation of global drug resistance is urgently demanding for novel antimicrobial agents. Considerable efforts have been concentrated on developing new antibacterial therapies with new mode of actions, exerting no selective pressure on bacterial mutation, and minimizing toxicity to host cells. In this context, active targeting can greatly contribute to selectivity between pathogens and mammalian cells in which carbohydrates, playing important roles in numerous biological processes, can be employed as targeting ligands or “trojan horse.” This short account has discussed the recent results of carbohydrate-based antimicrobial agents developed by our group. Other excellent works by other scientists and possible directions in the future are also discussed.