Pharmacological inhibition of quorum sensing for the treatment of chronic bacterial infections

Traditional treatment of infectious diseases is based on compounds that aim to kill or inhibit bacterial growth. A major concern with this approach is the frequently observed development of resistance to antimicrobial compounds. The discovery of bacterial-communication systems (quorum-sensing system...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of clinical investigation 2003-11, Vol.112 (9), p.1300-1307
Main Authors: Hentzer, Morten, Givskov, Michael
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
4-Butyrolactone - analogs & derivatives
4-Butyrolactone - antagonists & inhibitors
4-Butyrolactone - physiology
Animals
Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology
Antibiotics
Bacteria
Bacterial infections
Bacterial Infections - drug therapy
Biofilms
Biomedical research
Chronic Disease
Communication
Drugs
Furans - pharmacology
Gram-negative bacteria
Gram-positive bacteria
Humans
Infections
Infectious diseases
Organisms
RNA polymerase
Series
Signal Transduction - drug effects
Virulence
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Summary:Traditional treatment of infectious diseases is based on compounds that aim to kill or inhibit bacterial growth. A major concern with this approach is the frequently observed development of resistance to antimicrobial compounds. The discovery of bacterial-communication systems (quorum-sensing systems), which orchestrate important temporal events during the infection process, has afforded a novel opportunity to ameliorate bacterial infection by means other than growth inhibition. Compounds able to override bacterial signaling are present in nature. Herein we discuss the known signaling mechanisms and potential antipathogenic drugs that specifically target quorum-sensing systems in a manner unlikely to pose a selective pressure for the development of resistant mutants.
ISSN:0021-9738
1558-8238
DOI:10.1172/jci200320074