Old and New Beta-Lactamase Inhibitors: Molecular Structure, Mechanism of Action, and Clinical Use
Davide Carcione,
Claudia Siracusa,
Adela Sulejmani,
Valerio Leoni,
Jari Intra
Affiliations
Davide Carcione
Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Milano-Bicocca, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Brianza ASST-Brianza, Desio Hospital, Via Mazzini 1, 20833 Desio, Italy
Claudia Siracusa
Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Milano-Bicocca, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Brianza ASST-Brianza, Desio Hospital, Via Mazzini 1, 20833 Desio, Italy
Adela Sulejmani
Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Milano-Bicocca, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Brianza ASST-Brianza, Desio Hospital, Via Mazzini 1, 20833 Desio, Italy
Valerio Leoni
Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Milano-Bicocca, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Brianza ASST-Brianza, Desio Hospital, Via Mazzini 1, 20833 Desio, Italy
Jari Intra
Clinical Chemistry Laboratory, University of Milano-Bicocca, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale di Monza ASST-Monza, San Gerardo Hospital, Via Pergolesi 33, 20900 Monza, Italy
The β-lactams have a central place in the antibacterial armamentarium, but the increasing resistance to these drugs, especially among Gram-negative bacteria, is becoming one of the major threats to public health worldwide. Treatment options are limited, and only a small number of novel antibiotics are in development. However, one of the responses to this threat is the combination of β-lactam antibiotics with β-lactamase inhibitors, which are successfully used in the clinic for overcoming resistance by inhibiting β-lactamases. The existing inhibitors inactivate most of class A and C serine β-lactamases, but several of class D and B (metallo-β-lactamase) are resistant. The present review provides the status and knowledge concerning current β-lactamase inhibitors and an update on research efforts to identify and develop new and more efficient β-lactamase inhibitors.
