Antibiotic resistance represents one of the biggest challenges contemporary medicine has to face as it takes more than one million lives every year globally. It is thus paramount to develop alternative therapies to both treat antibiotic-resistant bacteria and reduce the spread of resistance genes.
Whereas the overuse of antimicrobials promotes genetic changes bringing about resistant mechanisms, the strategies to treat these infections are becoming more interdisciplinary. Besides discovering and synthesizing small molecules, antimicrobial peptides, phages, phage endolysins, etc., their integration within wider healthcare and research programs is necessary. Inline, antimicrobial strategies are currently evolving towards creating medical devices using polymers for dressings or implants, using material scaffolds to improve pharmacological features of the antimicrobial preparations, and/or devising personalized medicines based on microbiota transplantation, tailored phage therapy, etc. In addition, microbiological or evolutionary insights are also crucial to inform clinical interventions, for example, taking advantage of collateral sensitivity induced by resistance plasmids. This new paradigm requires continuous collaboration between chemists, microbiologists, engineers, and clinicians.
This Research Topic aims to cover novel biotechnological or engineered strategies to counteract antimicrobial resistance emphasizing multidisciplinary approaches and potential implementation in the clinic.
We invite contributors to submit original research articles, short reports, (mini-)reviews, short notes, or commentaries related, but not limited to, the following areas:
• Alternative antibacterial strategies based on phage therapy, endolysins, antimicrobial peptides, or predatory bacteria.
• Gene silencing therapy (e.g. CRISPR-Cas9).
• Microbiota transplantation.
• Rationalized antibiotherapy based on collateral sensitivity or other evolutionary trade-offs.
• Development of alternative polymeric materials to combat resistant microorganisms, including production, characterization, and study of antimicrobial activity.
• Antimicrobial drug immobilization, engineered living materials, and controlled release.
• Modeling and in silico design of novel antibacterial therapeutics.
• Future perspectives on antimicrobial therapeutics.
Antibiotic resistance represents one of the biggest challenges contemporary medicine has to face as it takes more than one million lives every year globally. It is thus paramount to develop alternative therapies to both treat antibiotic-resistant bacteria and reduce the spread of resistance genes.
Whereas the overuse of antimicrobials promotes genetic changes bringing about resistant mechanisms, the strategies to treat these infections are becoming more interdisciplinary. Besides discovering and synthesizing small molecules, antimicrobial peptides, phages, phage endolysins, etc., their integration within wider healthcare and research programs is necessary. Inline, antimicrobial strategies are currently evolving towards creating medical devices using polymers for dressings or implants, using material scaffolds to improve pharmacological features of the antimicrobial preparations, and/or devising personalized medicines based on microbiota transplantation, tailored phage therapy, etc. In addition, microbiological or evolutionary insights are also crucial to inform clinical interventions, for example, taking advantage of collateral sensitivity induced by resistance plasmids. This new paradigm requires continuous collaboration between chemists, microbiologists, engineers, and clinicians.
This Research Topic aims to cover novel biotechnological or engineered strategies to counteract antimicrobial resistance emphasizing multidisciplinary approaches and potential implementation in the clinic.
We invite contributors to submit original research articles, short reports, (mini-)reviews, short notes, or commentaries related, but not limited to, the following areas:
• Alternative antibacterial strategies based on phage therapy, endolysins, antimicrobial peptides, or predatory bacteria.
• Gene silencing therapy (e.g. CRISPR-Cas9).
• Microbiota transplantation.
• Rationalized antibiotherapy based on collateral sensitivity or other evolutionary trade-offs.
• Development of alternative polymeric materials to combat resistant microorganisms, including production, characterization, and study of antimicrobial activity.
• Antimicrobial drug immobilization, engineered living materials, and controlled release.
• Modeling and in silico design of novel antibacterial therapeutics.
• Future perspectives on antimicrobial therapeutics.