Hidden antibiotics: Where to uncover?

• Published in: Biotechnology advances 2018-12, Vol.36 (8), p.2201-2218
• Main Authors: De Mol, Maarten L, Snoeck, Nico, De Maeseneire, Sofie L, Soetaert, Wim K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - isolation & purification; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antibiotics; Bacteria - chemistry; Bacteria - drug effects; Bacteria - genetics; Drug Discovery; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - genetics; Genomes; Habitats; Humans; Metagenomics; Mice; Natural products; Pathogens; Phages; Synthetic Biology
• ISSN: 0734-9750; 1873-1899
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2018.10.008

The struggle of humans versus pathogens is a never ending battle. Since the discovery of antibiotics humans have tipped the scales in their favour, but today bacteria are nullifying this advantage by developing resistance mechanisms against these molecules. The plethora of different antibiotics active against pathogens is shrinking while the discovery of new molecules is arduous. Especially the development of drugs active against Gram pathogens continues slowly. New strategies to discover novel, potent antibiotics are hence needed. Adopting the optimistic view of technological singularity, innovative and disruptive approaches are required and hence proposed to lift the current conundrum. In this review, questions are answered on where and how to look for new natural product hit molecules with antibacterial activity, on how the field of synthetic biology can aid the contemporary pharmaceutical challenge and whether we are ready to make the transition towards other approaches, such as narrow-spectrum antibiotics and phage therapy.