Biopolymer Scaffolds in 3D Tissue Models: Advancing Antimicrobial Drug Discovery and Bacterial Pathogenesis Studies—A Scoping Review

The growing threat of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) demands innovative drug discovery, yet conventional 2D cell cultures fail to accurately mimic in vivo conditions, leading to high failure rates in preclinical studies. This review addresses the critical need for more physiologically relevant platforms by exploring recent advancements in bioengineered 3D tissue models for studying bacterial pathogenesis and antimicrobial drug discovery. We conducted a systematic search of peer-reviewed articles from 2015 to 2025 across PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, focusing on studies that used 3D models to investigate host–pathogen interactions or antimicrobial screening. Data on model types, biomaterials, fabrication techniques, and key findings were systematically charted to provide a comprehensive overview. Our findings reveal that a diverse range of biomaterials, including biopolymers and synthetic polymers, combined with advanced techniques like 3D bioprinting, are effectively used to create sophisticated tissue scaffolds. While these 3D models demonstrate clear superiority in mimicking biofilm properties and complex host–pathogen dynamics, our analysis identified a significant research gap: very few studies directly integrate these advanced bioengineered 3D models for high-throughput antimicrobial drug discovery. In conclusion, this review highlights the urgent need to bridge this disparity through increased research, standardization, and scalability in this critical interdisciplinary field, with the ultimate goal of accelerating the development of new therapeutics to combat AMR.