Antimicrobial resistance and gene therapy: emerging molecular strategies for a global health threat

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most serious and pressing health challenges facing modern medicine. Despite advances in antimicrobial stewardship, diagnostics and infection prevention, the rapid emergence and spread of resistant pathogens continues to limit treatment options and increase morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs. The discovery of new innovative antimicrobial therapies remains of paramount importance. In this context, gene therapy is gaining attention as a complementary strategy that can directly target the molecular genetic determinants of antimicrobial resistance. Recent advances in RNA-based technologies and CRISPR-Cas systems have enabled increasingly precise manipulation of microbial genomes, opening up the possibility of restoring antimicrobial susceptibility, reducing virulence and limiting the spread of resistance genes.