Efflux modulation as an antimicrobial strategy: mechanisms and translational perspectives
Waleska Stephanie da Cruz Nizer1, Cesar Augusto Roque-Borda2, Chongbing Liao3,4
1Tuberculosis research laboratory, São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Araraquara, Brazil. waleska.nizer@unesp.br.
Abstract:
Efflux pumps are widely viewed as antibiotic resistance determinants, yet their roles in stress adaptation, virulence, quorum sensing, and biofilm formation make them context-dependent therapeutic targets. This Perspective distinguishes four efflux intervention strategies: direct inhibition, bioenergetic or membrane-mediated suppression, regulatory modulation, and dual-effect approaches. We examine why promising in vitro findings rarely translate clinically and argue that efflux-targeting strategies require defined therapeutic objectives and integrated multidisciplinary approaches.
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