biostudies-literatureUnknown10(35)Zhou QESKAPE pathogens are a panel of most recalcitrant bacteria that could "escape" the treatment of antibiotics and exhibit high incidence of drug resistance. The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) ESKAPE pathogens (particularly Gram-negative bacteria) accounts for high risk of mortality and increased resource utilization in health care. Worse still, there has been no new class of antibiotics approved for exterminating the Gram-negative bacteria for more than 50 years. Therefore, it is urgent to develop novel antibacterial agents with low resistance and potent killing efficacy against Gram-negative ESKAPE pathogens. Herein, we present a class of fluoropolymers by mimicking the amphiphilicity of cationic antimicrobial peptides. Our optimal fluoroamphiphilic polymer (PD₄₅HF<sub>5<Science advanceseadp6604https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11352906biostudies-literatureFluoroamphiphilic polymers exterminate multidrug-resistant Gram-negative ESKAPE pathogens while attenuating drug resistance.PMC11352906Yu LZhou QChen JSi ZLi PHong WLi KChai JWang KfalseFluoroamphiphilic polymers exterminate multidrug-resistant Gram-negative ESKAPE pathogens while attenuating drug resistance.ESKAPE pathogens are a panel of most recalcitrant bacteria that could "escape" the treatment of antibiotics and exhibit high incidence of drug resistance. The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) ESKAPE pathogens (particularly Gram-negative bacteria) accounts for high risk of mortality and increased resource utilization in health care. Worse still, there has been no new class of antibiotics approved for exterminating the Gram-negative bacteria for more than 50 years. Therefore, it is urgent to develop novel antibacterial agents with low resistance and potent killing efficacy against Gram-negative ESKAPE pathogens. Herein, we present a class of fluoropolymers by mimicking the amphiphilicity of cationic antimicrobial peptides. Our optimal fluoroamphiphilic polymer (PD₄₅HF<sub>5<2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 Aug2025-04-26T11:34:32.118Z2025-04-06T13:46:15.535ZS-EPMC113529063919694710.1126/sciadv.adp6604