Helicobacter pylori eradication: developing antibiotic-independent antimicrobial moieties

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is a common and serious infectious disease that requires eradication as it is the primary cause of gastric adenocarcinoma. However, the growing prevalence of antibiotic resistance, severe side effects, and the inability of current treatments to effectively address biofilm-embedded, intracellular, and dormant H. pylori strains, alongside their long-term gut microbiome disruptions, have rendered standard therapies increasingly ineffective. This predicament underscores the pressing need to explore antibiotic-independent antimicrobial moieties. This pursuit involves a multifaceted approach, encompassing innovative strategies that target critical regulatory points in H. pylori infection. These include the development of urease inhibitors, anti-adhesion therapies, treatments for intracellular H. pylori, strategies for eradicating dormant forms, interventions against biofilm formation, among others. Additionally, various antibiotic-independent antimicrobial moieties that can target multiple bacterial mechanisms and forms are being explored, such as intraluminal photoacoustic therapy, the use of nanoparticles, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), vaccines, phage therapy, and other cutting-edge treatments. These strategies offer promising prospects for non-antibiotic treatments to overcome this persistent and often debilitating infection.