Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 13, 2026

Anti-virulent Disruption of Pathogenic Biofilms using Engineered Quorum-quenching Lactonases
07:47

Anti-virulent Disruption of Pathogenic Biofilms using Engineered Quorum-quenching Lactonases

Published on: January 1, 2016

[Quinolones--a cure which became a threat. Accelerating resistance development demands stricter indications]

Birgitta Lytsy1, Otto Cars, Erik Torell

  • 1Klinisk bakteriologi, Akademiska laboratoriet, Akademiska sjukhuset, Uppsala, Sweden. birgitta.lytsy@akademiska.se

Lakartidningen
|January 19, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Fluoroquinolone antibiotics are crucial for serious infections but increased use drives resistance. Overuse also selects for multi-resistant bacteria, necessitating strict usage guidelines in humans and animals.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
  • Pharmacology and Therapeutics

Context:

  • Fluoroquinolones are vital antibiotics for treating severe bacterial infections globally.
  • Widespread use has led to significant and rapid development of antibiotic resistance.
  • This resistance poses a major threat to public health and effective infection control.

Purpose:

  • To review the risks associated with the overuse of fluoroquinolone antibiotics in both human and veterinary medicine.
  • To highlight the link between fluoroquinolone usage and the selection of multidrug-resistant organisms.
  • To advocate for and suggest strict indications for the appropriate use of these essential drugs.

Summary:

  • Increased global consumption of fluoroquinolones correlates with escalating resistance rates.
  • Fluoroquinolone use promotes the emergence and spread of highly resistant bacteria, including MRSA and VRE.
  • The review examines adverse outcomes and resistance selection pressures from extensive antibiotic application.

Impact:

  • Promotes judicious antibiotic stewardship to preserve fluoroquinolone efficacy.
  • Informs clinical practice and public health policy regarding antibiotic prescribing.
  • Aims to mitigate the growing crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) globally.

More Related Videos

Quadruple-Checkerboard: A Modification of the Three-Dimensional Checkerboard for Studying Drug Combinations11:15

Quadruple-Checkerboard: A Modification of the Three-Dimensional Checkerboard for Studying Drug Combinations

Published on: July 24, 2021

Related Concept Videos

Inhibitors of Bacterial DNA Synthesis01:28

Inhibitors of Bacterial DNA Synthesis

Bacterial pathogens depend on precise and efficient DNA replication to sustain infection. Two type II topoisomerases—DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV—are critical to this process, as they resolve DNA supercoiling and unlink chromosomes during replication. Fluoroquinolones, synthetic derivatives of quinolones, exploit this mechanism by stabilizing the transient DNA–enzyme cleavage complex, preventing strand religation, and causing lethal double-strand breaks. These antibiotics are selectively...
Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA01:25

Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA

Antibiotic resistance in bacteria arises when microorganisms evolve the ability to withstand drugs designed to kill them or inhibit their growth, rendering once-effective treatments useless. This phenomenon, driven by genetic change and selection under antibiotic exposure, poses a profound threat to modern medicine. Mechanisms include drug-inactivating enzymes (e.g., β-lactamases), efflux pumps that eject antibiotics, mutations altering antibiotic targets, decreased drug uptake, and acquisition...
Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance01:25

Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) presents a critical public health threat, arising from its capacity to resist β-lactam antibiotics due to acquisition of the mecA gene within the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec). This gene encodes penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a), which impairs binding efficacy of methicillin and other β-lactams. MRSA has evolved into distinct clonal lineages impacting humans and animals alike, reinforcing its significance within the One...
Development of Antibiotic Resistance01:30

Development of Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotic resistance is a major public health concern that arises when bacteria evolve mechanisms to withstand the effects of antibiotic treatments. This resistance can be intrinsic, acquired through genetic mutations, or transferred between bacteria via horizontal gene transfer. The development of antibiotic resistance poses significant challenges in treating bacterial infections and necessitates ongoing research to develop new therapeutic strategies.Intrinsic resistance occurs when bacterial...
Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing01:28

Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing

Quorum sensing is a mechanism of bacterial communication that enables coordinated gene expression in response to changes in population density. This facilitates collective behaviors that enhance survival, resource acquisition, and ecological adaptation. This process relies on small signaling molecules called autoinducers that accumulate as bacterial populations grow. When a critical threshold concentration of autoinducers is reached, bacterial cells collectively modify gene expression,...
Antibiotic Selection00:57

Antibiotic Selection

Overview