From Natural Products to Small Molecules: Recent Advancements in Anti-MRSA Therapeutics

The urgent need for unique small molecules to treat increasing resistance in gram-positive pathogens, particularly methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, has motivated several creative research endeavors over the past decade. Recent advances have been inspired by natural products such as pleuromutilin, discovered in high-throughput screens, or repurposed approved drugs like sorafenib. This microperspective spotlights bioactive compounds, ranging from natural products to small molecule scaffolds, that have been reported in recent literature, highlighting their mechanisms of action, structure-activity relationships, and future potential.