Recent Advances on Carbon Monoxide Releasing Molecules for Antibacterial Applications

Carbon monoxide (CO) has been known as an endogenous signaling molecule in addition to an air pollutant. It plays a critical role in many physiological and pathological processes. Therefore, CO has been recognized as a potent therapeutic agent for the treatment of numerous diseases such as cancers, rheumatoid arthritis, and so on. Instead of direct CO inhalation, two main categories of CO-releasing molecules (CORMs) (i. e., metal carbonyls and nonmetallic CO donors) have been developed to safely and locally deliver CO to target tissues. In this minireview, we summarize the recent achievements of CORMs on antibacterial applications. It appears that the antibacterial activity of CORMs is different from CO gas, which is tightly correlated to not only the types of CORMs applied but also the tested bacterial strains. In some circumstances, the antibacterial mechanisms are debated and need to be clarified. We hope more attention can be paid to this emerging field and new antibacterial agents with a low risk of drug resistance can be developed.

Automated summary

Carbon monoxide (CO) is known as both an endogenous signaling molecule and an air pollutant, playing critical roles in various physiological and pathological processes. CO-releasing molecules (CORMs) have been developed as therapeutic agents for diseases such as cancer and rheumatoid arthritis, delivering CO safely and locally to target tissues. The antibacterial activity of CORMs differs from CO gas, and further research is needed on the mechanisms and potential development of new antibacterial agents with low risk of drug resistance.