1 Introduction Urinary tract infections (UTIs) remain difficult to eradicate because uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) establishes both biofilms and intracellular reservoirs that shield bacteria from antibiotics and immune surveillance [1-3]. Within biofilms, dense extracellular matrices rich in polysaccharides and proteins form highly tortuous nanoscale networks that impair molecular transport and weaken electrostatic interactions required for efficient drug penetration [4-6].
