Mechanism of Antibiotics and Potential Replacements

The introduction of antibiotics into the field of medicine drastically lowered mortality rates caused by bacterial infections. Since the discovery of penicillin in the year 1928, various antibiotics have been developed that target protein synthesis, nucleic acid replication, metabolism, and the bacterial cell wall. The use of antibiotics, however, has come under threat due to the escalating phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), primarily due to the bacteria’s self-adaptive processes like enzymatic degradation, modification of efflux pumps and target sites, and biofilm formation. Throughout the world, the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in healthcare and agriculture have enabled the propagation of multidrug-resistant pathogens, presenting a serious issue for public health. To tackle the issue of AMR, new therapeutic alternatives are being constructed, including, but not limited to, bacteriophages, nanotechnology-based antimicrobials, enzymes, and antimicrobial peptides. Immunomodulatory agents coupled with vaccines should decrease the dependence on antibiotics. Furthermore, anti-resistance factors can be supplemented through more advanced synthetic biology tools and CRISPR–cas9 gene editing technologies. To truly tackle the problem, collaboration of countries along with strict regulations regarding antibiotics, continuous funding in research, and policies is the key to ensuring that effective solutions do not lose their effectiveness.