Bacteriocins in the Era of Antibiotic Resistance: Rising to the Challenge

Decades of antibiotic misuse in clinical settings, animal feed, and within the food industry have led to a concerning rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Every year, antimicrobial-resistant infections cause 700,000 deaths, with 10 million casualties expected by 2050, if this trend continues. Henc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pharmaceutics 2021-02, Vol.13 (2), p.196
Main Authors: Gradisteanu Pircalabioru, Gratiela, Popa, Laura Ioana, Marutescu, Luminita, Gheorghe, Irina, Popa, Marcela, Czobor Barbu, Ilda, Cristescu, Rodica, Chifiriuc, Mariana-Carmen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amino acids
antibiotic resistance
Antibiotics
Antimicrobial agents
Bacteria
bacteriocins
Drug resistance
Gene expression
Gram-negative bacteria
Heat
Microbiota
Microorganisms
Molecular weight
Mortality
nisin
Nosocomial infections
Pathogens
Peptides
Review
Salmonella
Staphylococcus infections
Streptococcus infections
Threats
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Summary:Decades of antibiotic misuse in clinical settings, animal feed, and within the food industry have led to a concerning rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Every year, antimicrobial-resistant infections cause 700,000 deaths, with 10 million casualties expected by 2050, if this trend continues. Hence, innovative solutions are imperative to curb antibiotic resistance. Bacteria produce a potent arsenal of drugs with remarkable diversity that are all distinct from those of current antibiotics. Bacteriocins are potent small antimicrobial peptides synthetized by certain bacteria that may be appointed as alternatives to traditional antibiotics. These molecules are strategically employed by commensals, mostly Firmicutes, to colonize and persist in the human gut. Bacteriocins form channels in the target cell membrane, leading to leakage of low-molecular-weight, causing the disruption of the proton motive force. The objective of this review was to list and discuss the potential of bacteriocins as antimicrobial therapeutics for infections produced mainly by resistant pathogens.
ISSN:1999-4923
1999-4923
DOI:10.3390/pharmaceutics13020196