Combining Advanced Therapies with Alternative Treatments: A New Approach to Managing Antimicrobial Resistance?

Bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a critical public health threat, with increasing resistance compromising the effectiveness of treatments worldwide. Resistance trends, such as fluctuating benzylpenicillin resistance in <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, highlight the growin...

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Main Authors: Greta Kaspute, Arunas Zebrauskas, Akvile Streckyte, Tatjana Ivaskiene, Urte Prentice
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Pharmaceutics
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/17/5/648
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Summary:Bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a critical public health threat, with increasing resistance compromising the effectiveness of treatments worldwide. Resistance trends, such as fluctuating benzylpenicillin resistance in <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, highlight the growing urgency, with projections indicating a rise in resistance to various antibiotics, including complete resistance to gentamicin and tetracycline by 2027. Despite substantial efforts to develop new antibiotics and drug delivery systems, these approaches must undergo rigorous clinical evaluation to ensure their safety and efficacy. In parallel, alternative therapies, such as phytotherapy and apitherapy, have garnered attention for their potential in combating infections. Natural substances like tea tree essential oils and propolis, which exhibit antimicrobial properties, are being increasingly incorporated into novel drug delivery systems. However, much of the research on these materials is not new, with several studies already exploring their effectiveness. To address the escalating AMR crisis, combining advanced therapies with alternative medicine could offer a promising solution. Advanced therapy products could target bacterial genomes and enhance the effectiveness of antibiotics and natural substances. This integrated approach remains underexplored in pre-clinical and clinical trials, presenting future research opportunities to develop more effective strategies in combating AMR. Given the rapid spread of resistant infections, there is an urgent need for innovative antimicrobial agents to overcome emerging resistance mechanisms and improve diagnoses and treatments.
ISSN:1999-4923