About this Research Topic
As the antimicrobial resistance increases, particularly for the ESKAPE pathogens, we are forced to look beyond the conventional antibiotics targeting the pathogen directly to discover the therapeutic approach to treat these difficult infections. One of the possible strategies to improve the clearance of the highly resistant infections is to affect the host processes normally hijacked by pathogens, in order to improve the processes such as phagocytosis, innate immune functions and host metabolism. Studies of these host-directed therapies have a potential to provide previously overlooked drug candidates but also inform us more about the pathogenesis of bacterial infection.
This Research Topic is concerned with the studies that
(1) provide novel drug targets for infections that are associated with host processes rather than bacterial physiology.
(2) specific novel pharmacological interventions targeting the host designed as anti-microbial treatments.
(3) repurposing old drugs affecting host processes as antimicrobial treatments, and
(4) reviews of literature showing examples of host-directed therapies.
This special collection aims to provide a promise of novel antimicrobials for difficult-to-treat infections, such as ESKAPE pathogens, and other treatments that can improve the immunity to better deal with the infectious disease burden.
We welcome:
• Original studies that describe novel drug targets for infections that are associated with host processes rather than bacterial physiology.
• Original studies focused on discovering specific novel pharmacological interventions targeting the host designed as anti-microbial treatments
• Original studies focused on repurposing old drugs affecting host processes as antimicrobial treatments
• Concept papers and reviews of literature showing examples of host-directed therapies
This Research Topic is concerned with the studies that
(1) provide novel drug targets for infections that are associated with host processes rather than bacterial physiology.
(2) specific novel pharmacological interventions targeting the host designed as anti-microbial treatments.
(3) repurposing old drugs affecting host processes as antimicrobial treatments, and
(4) reviews of literature showing examples of host-directed therapies.
This special collection aims to provide a promise of novel antimicrobials for difficult-to-treat infections, such as ESKAPE pathogens, and other treatments that can improve the immunity to better deal with the infectious disease burden.
We welcome:
• Original studies that describe novel drug targets for infections that are associated with host processes rather than bacterial physiology.
• Original studies focused on discovering specific novel pharmacological interventions targeting the host designed as anti-microbial treatments
• Original studies focused on repurposing old drugs affecting host processes as antimicrobial treatments
• Concept papers and reviews of literature showing examples of host-directed therapies
Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, host-directed therapies, unconventional antibiotics, bacterial infections, drug repurposing, ESKAPE pathogens
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
