Title |
[Minireview] Antibiotic resistance of pathogenic Acinetobacter species and emerging combination therapy |
Author |
Bora Shin and Woojun Park* |
Address |
Laboratory of Molecular Environmental Microbiology, Department of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea |
Bibliography |
Journal of Microbiology, 55(11),837–849, 2017,
|
DOI |
10.1007/s12275-017-7288-4
|
Key Words |
Acinetobacter, multidrug resistance, biofilm, membrane
permeability, natural compounds, adjuvants |
Abstract |
The increasing antibiotic resistance of Acinetobacter species
in both natural and hospital environments has become a serious
problem worldwide in recent decades. Because of both
intrinsic and acquired antimicrobial resistance (AMR) against
last-resort antibiotics such as carbapenems, novel therapeutics
are urgently required to treat Acinetobacter-associated infectious
diseases. Among the many pathogenic Acinetobacter
species, A. baumannii has been reported to be resistant to all
classes of antibiotics and contains many AMR genes, such as
blaADC (Acinetobacter-derived cephalosporinase). The AMR
of pathogenic Acinetobacter species is the result of several
different mechanisms, including active efflux pumps, mutations
in antibiotic targets, antibiotic modification, and low
antibiotic membrane permeability. To overcome the limitations
of existing drugs, combination theraphy that can increase
the activity of antibiotics should be considered in the
treatment of Acinetobacter infections. Understanding the
molecular mechanisms behind Acinetobacter AMR resistance
will provide vital information for drug development and
therapeutic strategies using combination treatment. Here,
we summarize the classic mechanisms of Acinetobacter AMR,
along with newly-discovered genetic AMR factors and currently
available antimicrobial adjuvants that can enhance drug
efficacy in the treatment of A. baumannii infections. |