Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 4, 2025

High Throughput, Real-time, Dual-readout Testing of Intracellular Antimicrobial Activity and Eukaryotic Cell Cytotoxicity
09:09

High Throughput, Real-time, Dual-readout Testing of Intracellular Antimicrobial Activity and Eukaryotic Cell Cytotoxicity

Published on: November 16, 2016

8.1K

Targeted Therapeutic Strategies in the Battle Against Pathogenic Bacteria

Bingqing Yang1, Dan Fang1, Qingyan Lv1,2,3

  • 1College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.

Frontiers in Pharmacology
|May 31, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Antibiotic resistance is a growing global threat. This review explores precision-targeted therapies like narrow-spectrum agents, engineered probiotics, nanotechnology, phage therapy, and CRISPR-Cas9 to combat resistant bacteria.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
  • Biotechnology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria is a critical global public health issue.
  • The development of new antimicrobials lags behind the evolution of resistance.
  • Broad-spectrum antibiotic overuse accelerates resistance and harms the gut microbiota.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current and future precision-targeted therapeutic strategies against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
  • To discuss advances, challenges, and resistance mitigation potential of these strategies.
  • To provide insights into optimizing antibacterial approaches through understanding targeted therapies.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent scientific literature on targeted antimicrobial strategies.
  • Analysis of narrow-spectrum agents, engineered probiotics, nanotechnology, phage therapy, and CRISPR-Cas9.
  • Discussion of mechanisms of action, advantages, and disadvantages.

Main Results:

  • Targeted therapies show promise in combating antibiotic resistance.
  • Narrow-spectrum agents, engineered probiotics, nanotechnology, phage therapy, and CRISPR-Cas9 are key innovative strategies.
  • These approaches offer potential for precision treatment and mitigation of resistance spread.

Conclusions:

  • A comprehensive understanding of targeted therapies is essential for developing effective solutions.
  • Optimizing existing antibacterial approaches requires evaluating the pros and cons of novel strategies.
  • Precision-targeted therapies represent a crucial frontier in the fight against antibiotic resistance.
Keywords:
CRISPR-Cas9pathogenic bacteriaphageprobioticstargeted therapeutic strategies

More Related Videos

Phage-mediated Delivery of Targeted sRNA Constructs to Knock Down Gene Expression in E. coli08:25

Phage-mediated Delivery of Targeted sRNA Constructs to Knock Down Gene Expression in E. coli

Published on: March 20, 2016

12.8K
Screening Bioactive Nanoparticles in Phagocytic Immune Cells for Inhibitors of Toll-like Receptor Signaling09:51

Screening Bioactive Nanoparticles in Phagocytic Immune Cells for Inhibitors of Toll-like Receptor Signaling

Published on: July 26, 2017

12.6K

Related Concept Videos

Biological Methods for Microbial Control01:28

Biological Methods for Microbial Control

Biological agents offer an effective means of controlling microbial growth by leveraging natural processes like predation, competition, and the secretion of antimicrobial substances.Predatory bacteria such as Bdellovibrio species target and kill pathogens like Salmonella and E. coli. They are widely used in poultry farms to control infections. Myxococcus species help combat plant-pathogenic fungi. These naturally occurring predators serve as eco-friendly alternatives to chemical pesticides and...
523
Defense Against Bacterial Pathogens01:31

Defense Against Bacterial Pathogens

The human immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to defend the body against bacterial infections. It consists of various immune cells, each playing a specific role in the defense mechanism.
Phagocytes
Phagocytes are the frontline soldiers of the immune system. They include neutrophils and macrophages. Neutrophils are the most abundant type of white blood cell and are quickly mobilized to the site of infection. Macrophages are larger cells that patrol...
1.7K
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
8.0K
Targets for Drug Action: Overview01:26

Targets for Drug Action: Overview

Drugs target macromolecules to modify ongoing cellular processes. Primary drug targets include receptors, ion channels, transporters, and enzymes.
Receptors are either membrane-spanning or intracellular proteins, which upon binding a ligand, get activated and transmit the signal downstream to elicit a response. Drugs bind receptors, either mimicking the action of endogenous ligands or blocking the receptor activity to bring about a modified response. Nearly 35% of approved drugs target the G...
8.4K
Microorganisms in Medicine and Therapeutics01:29

Microorganisms in Medicine and Therapeutics

Microorganisms play a fundamental role in vaccine development, gene therapy, and therapeutic production. Their biological properties are harnessed to advance medicine and public health. Beyond immunization, microorganisms contribute to gut health, antibiotic synthesis, and genetic disease treatment.Live Attenuated and Inactivated VaccinesLive attenuated vaccines, such as the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, utilize weakened forms of pathogens to closely resemble natural infections.
568
Lytic Cycle of Bacteriophages01:30

Lytic Cycle of Bacteriophages

Bacteriophages, also known as phages, are specialized viruses that infect bacteria. A key characteristic of phages is their distinctive “head-tail” morphology. A phage begins the infection process (i.e., lytic cycle) by attaching to the outside of a bacterial cell. Attachment is accomplished via proteins in the phage tail that bind to specific receptor proteins on the outer surface of the bacterium. The tail injects the phage’s DNA genome into the bacterial cytoplasm. In the...
73.8K