Antibiotic resistance: a global crisis, problems and solutions

Area of Science:

• Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
• Drug Discovery and Development
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Antibiotic resistance in pathogenic microbes, particularly ESKAPE pathogens, poses a significant global health threat.
• The overuse and misuse of antibiotics have accelerated the rise of resistant strains.
• There is an urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies to overcome antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore and highlight alternative therapeutic strategies beyond traditional antibiotics for combating antimicrobial resistance.
• To discuss the potential of various novel agents and approaches in addressing the challenge of resistant pathogens.
• To emphasize the importance of understanding resistance mechanisms and developing targeted therapies.

Main Methods:

• Review and synthesis of existing research on antibiotic adjuvants, including beta-lactamase inhibitors, efflux pump inhibitors, and outer membrane permeabilizers.
• Exploration of bacteriophage therapy as a strategy against antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
• Discussion of green synthesis nanoparticle-based therapy and host-directed therapy (HDT).
• Consideration of inhibitors targeting bacterial horizontal gene transfer (HGT) mechanisms.

Main Results:

• Inhibitors of lytic transglycosylase's lytic domain offer a novel approach, acting as alternatives and restoring antibiotic efficacy.
• Bacteriophage therapy presents a promising strategy for dealing with antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
• Nanoparticle-based therapy and HDT are identified as viable options for combating microbial resistance.
• Understanding resistance mechanisms and developing inhibitors against HGT are crucial novel approaches.

Conclusions:

• Novel therapeutic strategies including antibiotic adjuvants, bacteriophages, nanoparticle therapy, and host-directed therapy are essential to combat antimicrobial resistance.
• Targeting specific bacterial mechanisms like lytic transglycosylases and horizontal gene transfer offers promising avenues.
• Further clinical data and antimicrobial stewardship programs are necessary to evaluate the efficacy and safety of new therapeutic agents.