Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Infections, Animal Modeling, and Therapeutics

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen which causes many severe acute and chronic infections with high morbidity, and mortality rates as high as 40%. What makes P. aeruginosa a particularly challenging pathogen is its high intrinsic and acquired resistance to many of the available antibiotics. In this review, we review the important acute and chronic infections caused by this pathogen. We next discuss various animal models which have been developed to evaluate P. aeruginosa pathogenesis and assess therapeutics against this pathogen. Next, we review current treatments (antibiotics and vaccines) and provide an overview of their efficacies and their limitations. Finally, we highlight exciting literature on novel antibiotic-free strategies to control P. aeruginosa infections.

Automated summary

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a significant Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen with high morbidity and mortality rates. Its high intrinsic and acquired resistance to antibiotics presents a challenge. This review covers the important acute and chronic infections caused by P. aeruginosa, animal models used for studying its pathogenesis and therapeutics, current treatments and their limitations, and novel antibiotic-free strategies for controlling P. aeruginosa infections.