Journal
CURRENT OPINION IN CRITICAL CARE
Volume 14, Issue 5, Pages 593-599Publisher
LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS
DOI: 10.1097/MCC.0b013e32830f1dd5
Keywords
antimicrobial therapy; bacterial virulence; novel therapeutics; quorum sensing; type III secretion system
Categories
Funding
- American Lung Association
- NIH [AI07541 0, SCCOR HL 74005, HL 69809, HL074005, A1075410]
- NATIONAL HEART, LUNG, AND BLOOD INSTITUTE [P50HL074005, R01HL069809] Funding Source: NIH RePORTER
- NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES [U01AI075410] Funding Source: NIH RePORTER
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Purpose of review Incidences of antimicrobial-resistant infections have increased dramatically over the past several decades and are associated with adverse patient outcomes. Alternative approaches to combat infection are critical and have led to the development of more specific drugs targeted at particular bacterial virulence systems or essential regulatory pathways. The purpose of this review is to highlight the recent developments in antibacterial therapy and the novel approaches toward increasing our therapeutic armory against bacterial infection. Recent findings Although classic antibiotic development is not occurring rapidly, alternative therapeutics that target specific bacterial virulence systems are progressing from the discovery stage through the Food and Drug Administration approval process. Here we review novel antibodies that target specific virulence systems as well as a variety of newly discovered small molecules that block bacterial attachment, communication systems (quorum sensing) or important regulatory processes associated with virulence gene expression. Summary The success of novel therapeutics could significantly change clinical practice. Furthermore, the complications of collateral damage due to antibiotic administration, for example, suprainfections or decreased host immunity due to loss of synergistic bacterial communities, may be minimized using therapeutics that specifically target pathogenic behavior.
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