About this Research Topic
The field of antibacterial drug discovery and development is shrinking dramatically as antimicrobial resistance continues to rise. In addition to the lack of resources for Research and Development (R&D) due to the failure of the antibiotic market, there are major technical challenges in the field. It is more difficult than ever to discover new targets and discover new chemical entities suitable for clinical development.
Progress in the fight against antimicrobial resistance was lost in 2020 due, in large part, to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It should be noted that a US CDC special report published in 2022 concluded that the threat of antimicrobial-resistant infections is not only still present but has worsened. As a consequence, a strong and serious investment in the development of new approaches to treat bacterial infections is imperative.
The development of new antibacterial agents must include conventional as well as less conventional strategies. All the winning strategies of the past must be completely explored, and re-purposing known drugs may save time and resources. Isolation of new compounds from the field, especially from less explored environments can lead to new, interesting findings. Modification of known antibiotics can always bring significant improvements. Knowing more about bacterial structures and physiology may disclose valid drug targets. But other approaches may also be followed: bacteriophages have already proved useful in the case of some types of bacterial infections, antimicrobial peptides have interesting activities in vitro and animal models, and host-targeted and personalized therapies are clearly indicated in some situations.
Tackling antimicrobial resistance also includes several other actions such as preventing infections and reducing the spread of microbes; tracking the use of antibiotics; addressing antimicrobials and antimicrobial-resistant threats in the environment; innovation and research on diagnostics.
In this Research Topic, we would like to put together the most recent advances in the development of new drugs to treat infections caused by alarming threats categorized by human bacterial pathogens (i.e., Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Enterobacterales), including innovative strategies to overcome antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial tolerance in biofilms. We would also be happy to include studies on the discovery and development of compounds that could be used in the diagnosis of antimicrobial resistance/antimicrobial resistance mechanisms or the detection of resistant microbes in the environment. Publications describing new models to assess the antimicrobial activity of drugs will also be welcome since methods are constantly evolving. Publications may refer to any stage of drug development, from chemical synthesis or field extraction to pre-clinical or even clinical evaluation.
This article collection will include original research articles, reviews, and mini-reviews. All articles will be subject to the most rigorous peer review.
Progress in the fight against antimicrobial resistance was lost in 2020 due, in large part, to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It should be noted that a US CDC special report published in 2022 concluded that the threat of antimicrobial-resistant infections is not only still present but has worsened. As a consequence, a strong and serious investment in the development of new approaches to treat bacterial infections is imperative.
The development of new antibacterial agents must include conventional as well as less conventional strategies. All the winning strategies of the past must be completely explored, and re-purposing known drugs may save time and resources. Isolation of new compounds from the field, especially from less explored environments can lead to new, interesting findings. Modification of known antibiotics can always bring significant improvements. Knowing more about bacterial structures and physiology may disclose valid drug targets. But other approaches may also be followed: bacteriophages have already proved useful in the case of some types of bacterial infections, antimicrobial peptides have interesting activities in vitro and animal models, and host-targeted and personalized therapies are clearly indicated in some situations.
Tackling antimicrobial resistance also includes several other actions such as preventing infections and reducing the spread of microbes; tracking the use of antibiotics; addressing antimicrobials and antimicrobial-resistant threats in the environment; innovation and research on diagnostics.
In this Research Topic, we would like to put together the most recent advances in the development of new drugs to treat infections caused by alarming threats categorized by human bacterial pathogens (i.e., Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Enterobacterales), including innovative strategies to overcome antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial tolerance in biofilms. We would also be happy to include studies on the discovery and development of compounds that could be used in the diagnosis of antimicrobial resistance/antimicrobial resistance mechanisms or the detection of resistant microbes in the environment. Publications describing new models to assess the antimicrobial activity of drugs will also be welcome since methods are constantly evolving. Publications may refer to any stage of drug development, from chemical synthesis or field extraction to pre-clinical or even clinical evaluation.
This article collection will include original research articles, reviews, and mini-reviews. All articles will be subject to the most rigorous peer review.
Keywords: bacterial resistance, antibacterial drug discovery and development, drug resistance diagnostics, anti-infectives, tackling antimicrobial resistance, tuberculosis
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.
