Antimicrobial resistance: progress and challenges in antibiotic discovery and anti-infective therapy

Abstract

The alarming rise in the emergence of antimicrobial resistance in human, animal and plant pathogens is challenging global health and food production. Traditional strategies used for antibiotic discovery persistently result in the re-isolation of known compounds, calling for the need to develop more rational strategies to identify new antibiotics. Additionally, anti-infective therapy approaches targeting bacterial signalling pathways related to virulence is emerging as an alternative to the use of antibiotics. In this perspective article, we critically analyse approaches aimed at revitalizing the identification of new antibiotics and to advance antivirulence therapies. The development of high-throughput in vivo, in vitro and in silico platforms, together with the progress in chemical synthesis, analytical chemistry and structural biology, are reviving a research area that is of tremendous relevance for global health.