From Antibiotic Resistance to Bacterial Vaccines: A New Approach to Controlling Resistant Bacterial Infections

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the major threats to global health, with a complex and diverse underlying mechanism. Vaccines reduce the dependence on antimicrobial agents by preventing and treating bacterial and viral infections, as well as secondary infections caused by both, thereby lowering the risk of AMR. Unlike traditional antibiotics, bacterial vaccines trigger a long-lasting immune response that not only prevents bacterial infections but also inhibits the spread of resistant strains. They show significant advantages in reducing antibiotic use and lowering resistance risks. However, the development of bacterial vaccines faces several challenges, including the diversity of bacterial antigens, rapid evolution, and the difficulty of achieving broad-spectrum immune protection. Despite these challenges, advancements in vaccine technology and the optimization of delivery systems are making the application prospects of bacterial vaccines in combating resistant strains increasingly promising. We sequentially discuss resistance mechanisms, existing and emerging vaccine platforms, enabling technologies, and future perspectives.