Antibiotic Discovery and Resistance: The Chase and the Race
Katia Iskandar,
Jayaseelan Murugaiyan,
Dalal Hammoudi Halat,
Said El Hage,
Vindana Chibabhai,
Saranya Adukkadukkam,
Christine Roques,
Laurent Molinier,
Pascale Salameh,
Maarten Van Dongen
Affiliations
Katia Iskandar
Department of Mathématiques Informatique et Télécommunications, Université Toulouse III, Paul Sabatier, INSERM, UMR 1295, 31000 Toulouse, France
Jayaseelan Murugaiyan
Department of Biological Sciences, SRM University–AP, Amaravati 522502, India
Dalal Hammoudi Halat
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Lebanese International University, Bekaa Campus, Beirut 1103, Lebanon
Said El Hage
Faculty of Medicine, Lebanese University, Beirut 6573, Lebanon
Vindana Chibabhai
Division of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2193, South Africa
Saranya Adukkadukkam
Department of Biological Sciences, SRM University–AP, Amaravati 522502, India
Christine Roques
Laboratoire de Génie Chimique, Department of Bioprocédés et Systèmes Microbiens, Université Paul Sabtier, Toulouse III, UMR 5503, 31330 Toulouse, France
Laurent Molinier
Department of Medical Information, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, INSERM, UMR 1295, Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III, 31000 Toulouse, France
Pascale Salameh
INSPECT-LB: Institut National de Santé Publique, d’Épidémiologie Clinique et de Toxicologie-Liban, Beirut 6573, Lebanon
The history of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) evolution and the diversity of the environmental resistome indicate that AMR is an ancient natural phenomenon. Acquired resistance is a public health concern influenced by the anthropogenic use of antibiotics, leading to the selection of resistant genes. Data show that AMR is spreading globally at different rates, outpacing all efforts to mitigate this crisis. The search for new antibiotic classes is one of the key strategies in the fight against AMR. Since the 1980s, newly marketed antibiotics were either modifications or improvements of known molecules. The World Health Organization (WHO) describes the current pipeline as bleak, and warns about the scarcity of new leads. A quantitative and qualitative analysis of the pre-clinical and clinical pipeline indicates that few antibiotics may reach the market in a few years, predominantly not those that fit the innovative requirements to tackle the challenging spread of AMR. Diversity and innovation are the mainstays to cope with the rapid evolution of AMR. The discovery and development of antibiotics must address resistance to old and novel antibiotics. Here, we review the history and challenges of antibiotics discovery and describe different innovative new leads mechanisms expected to replenish the pipeline, while maintaining a promising possibility to shift the chase and the race between the spread of AMR, preserving antibiotic effectiveness, and meeting innovative leads requirements.
