Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 22, 2025

Quadruple-Checkerboard: A Modification of the Three-Dimensional Checkerboard for Studying Drug Combinations
Published on: July 24, 2021
Antibacterial Prodrugs to Overcome Bacterial Antimicrobial Resistance
Catarina Maria1, Ana M de Matos1, Amélia P Rauter1
1Centro de Química Estrutural, Institute of Molecular Sciences, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal.
Abstract:
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an increasingly concerning phenomenon that requires urgent attention because it poses a threat to human and animal health. Bacteria undergo continuous evolution, acquiring novel resistance mechanisms in addition to their intrinsic ones. Multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant bacterial strains are rapidly emerging, and it is expected that bacterial AMR will claim the lives of 10 million people annually by 2050. Consequently, the urgent need for the development of new therapeutic agents with new modes of action is evident. The antibacterial prodrug approach, a strategy that includes drug repurposing and derivatization, integration of nanotechnology, and exploration of natural products, is highlighted in this review. Thus, this publication aims at compiling the most pertinent research in the field, spanning from 2021 to 2023, offering the reader a comprehensive insight into the AMR phenomenon and new strategies to overcome it.
Related Concept Videos
Combined Effects of Drugs: Synergism
Such synergistic combinations...
Prodrugs
Prodrugs help overcome...
Antimicrobial Proteins
Interferons
Interferons (IFNs) are proteins produced by lymphocytes, macrophages, and fibroblasts infected with viruses. While IFNs cannot prevent viruses from entering and...
Antibiotic Selection
Defense Against Bacterial Pathogens
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...
Drug Biotransformation: Overview

