Resistance to antimicrobials is a global problem of increasing importance. Pathogens rapidly develop mutations that render current treatments ineffective. For example, resistance to carbapenems, one of the ‘last lines’ of antibiotics, is widespread and has been observed in numerous countries; resistance to artemisinin, the gold standard in malaria treatment, has also emerged. Our current arsenal of antimicrobial agents thus has a limited lifespan and new drugs are urgently needed. Tackling this resistance will require a deep understanding of microbial infections and the mechanisms through which resistance arises, as well as concerted efforts between academia and industry aimed at developing novel antimicrobial agents.
This collection consists of Reviews, Research articles, and News and Comment articles from several Nature journals, describing how antibiotic resistance emerges and detailing strategies through which new antimicrobial compounds are being discovered.
Read more: Antimicrobial resistance: a collection of reviews and research papers from Nature journals
Source: nature
