Harnessing Non-Antibiotic Strategies to Counter Multidrug-Resistant Clinical Pathogens with Special Reference to Antimicrobial Peptides and Their Coatings

Antimicrobial resistance is a critical global challenge in the 21st century, validating Sir Alexander Fleming’s warning about the misuse of antibiotics leading to resistant microbes. With a dwindling arsenal of effective antibiotics, it is imperative to concentrate on alternative antimicrobial strat...

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Main Authors: Shyam Kumar Mishra, Tanzina Akter, Umme Laila Urmi, George Enninful, Manjulatha Sara, Jiawei Shen, Dittu Suresh, Liangjun Zheng, Elias Shiferaw Mekonen, Binod Rayamajhee, Francesco M. Labricciosa, Massimo Sartelli, Mark Willcox
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Antibiotics
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/14/1/57
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author Shyam Kumar Mishra
Tanzina Akter
Umme Laila Urmi
George Enninful
Manjulatha Sara
Jiawei Shen
Dittu Suresh
Liangjun Zheng
Elias Shiferaw Mekonen
Binod Rayamajhee
Francesco M. Labricciosa
Massimo Sartelli
Mark Willcox
author_facet Shyam Kumar Mishra
Tanzina Akter
Umme Laila Urmi
George Enninful
Manjulatha Sara
Jiawei Shen
Dittu Suresh
Liangjun Zheng
Elias Shiferaw Mekonen
Binod Rayamajhee
Francesco M. Labricciosa
Massimo Sartelli
Mark Willcox
author_sort Shyam Kumar Mishra
collection DOAJ
description Antimicrobial resistance is a critical global challenge in the 21st century, validating Sir Alexander Fleming’s warning about the misuse of antibiotics leading to resistant microbes. With a dwindling arsenal of effective antibiotics, it is imperative to concentrate on alternative antimicrobial strategies. Previous studies have not comprehensively discussed the advantages and limitations of various strategies, including bacteriophage therapy, probiotics, immunotherapies, photodynamic therapy, essential oils, nanoparticles and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) within a single review. This review addresses that gap by providing an overview of these various non-antibiotic antimicrobial strategies, highlighting their pros and cons, with a particular emphasis on antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). We explore the mechanism of action of AMPs against bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. While these peptides hold significant promise, their application in mainstream drug development is hindered by challenges such as low bioavailability and potential toxicity. However, advancements in peptide engineering and chemical modifications offer solutions to enhance their clinical utility. Additionally, this review presents updates on strategies aimed at improving the cost, stability and selective toxicity of AMPs through the development of peptidomimetics. These molecules have demonstrated effective activity against a broad range of pathogens, making them valuable candidates for integration into surface coatings to prevent device-associated infections. Furthermore, we discuss various approaches for attaching and functionalising these peptides on surfaces. Finally, we recommend comprehensive in vivo studies to evaluate the efficacy of AMPs and their mimetics, investigate their synergistic combinations with other molecules and assess their potential as coatings for medical devices.
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spelling doaj-art-b95a92aba8154b4f8a7554f3d7df3eba2025-01-24T13:18:46ZengMDPI AGAntibiotics2079-63822025-01-011415710.3390/antibiotics14010057Harnessing Non-Antibiotic Strategies to Counter Multidrug-Resistant Clinical Pathogens with Special Reference to Antimicrobial Peptides and Their CoatingsShyam Kumar Mishra0Tanzina Akter1Umme Laila Urmi2George Enninful3Manjulatha Sara4Jiawei Shen5Dittu Suresh6Liangjun Zheng7Elias Shiferaw Mekonen8Binod Rayamajhee9Francesco M. Labricciosa10Massimo Sartelli11Mark Willcox12School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, AustraliaSchool of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, AustraliaSchool of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, AustraliaSchool of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, AustraliaSchool of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, AustraliaSchool of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, AustraliaSchool of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, AustraliaDepartment of Animal Science and Technology, University of Northwest A&F, Yangling 712100, ChinaSchool of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, AustraliaSchool of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, AustraliaGlobal Alliance for Infections in Surgery, 62100 Macerata, ItalyDepartment of Surgery, Macerata Hospital, 62100 Macerata, ItalySchool of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, AustraliaAntimicrobial resistance is a critical global challenge in the 21st century, validating Sir Alexander Fleming’s warning about the misuse of antibiotics leading to resistant microbes. With a dwindling arsenal of effective antibiotics, it is imperative to concentrate on alternative antimicrobial strategies. Previous studies have not comprehensively discussed the advantages and limitations of various strategies, including bacteriophage therapy, probiotics, immunotherapies, photodynamic therapy, essential oils, nanoparticles and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) within a single review. This review addresses that gap by providing an overview of these various non-antibiotic antimicrobial strategies, highlighting their pros and cons, with a particular emphasis on antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). We explore the mechanism of action of AMPs against bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. While these peptides hold significant promise, their application in mainstream drug development is hindered by challenges such as low bioavailability and potential toxicity. However, advancements in peptide engineering and chemical modifications offer solutions to enhance their clinical utility. Additionally, this review presents updates on strategies aimed at improving the cost, stability and selective toxicity of AMPs through the development of peptidomimetics. These molecules have demonstrated effective activity against a broad range of pathogens, making them valuable candidates for integration into surface coatings to prevent device-associated infections. Furthermore, we discuss various approaches for attaching and functionalising these peptides on surfaces. Finally, we recommend comprehensive in vivo studies to evaluate the efficacy of AMPs and their mimetics, investigate their synergistic combinations with other molecules and assess their potential as coatings for medical devices.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/14/1/57antimicrobial coatingantimicrobial peptideantimicrobial resistancepeptide engineeringpeptidomimetics
spellingShingle Shyam Kumar Mishra
Tanzina Akter
Umme Laila Urmi
George Enninful
Manjulatha Sara
Jiawei Shen
Dittu Suresh
Liangjun Zheng
Elias Shiferaw Mekonen
Binod Rayamajhee
Francesco M. Labricciosa
Massimo Sartelli
Mark Willcox
Harnessing Non-Antibiotic Strategies to Counter Multidrug-Resistant Clinical Pathogens with Special Reference to Antimicrobial Peptides and Their Coatings
Antibiotics
antimicrobial coating
antimicrobial peptide
antimicrobial resistance
peptide engineering
peptidomimetics
title Harnessing Non-Antibiotic Strategies to Counter Multidrug-Resistant Clinical Pathogens with Special Reference to Antimicrobial Peptides and Their Coatings
title_full Harnessing Non-Antibiotic Strategies to Counter Multidrug-Resistant Clinical Pathogens with Special Reference to Antimicrobial Peptides and Their Coatings
title_fullStr Harnessing Non-Antibiotic Strategies to Counter Multidrug-Resistant Clinical Pathogens with Special Reference to Antimicrobial Peptides and Their Coatings
title_full_unstemmed Harnessing Non-Antibiotic Strategies to Counter Multidrug-Resistant Clinical Pathogens with Special Reference to Antimicrobial Peptides and Their Coatings
title_short Harnessing Non-Antibiotic Strategies to Counter Multidrug-Resistant Clinical Pathogens with Special Reference to Antimicrobial Peptides and Their Coatings
title_sort harnessing non antibiotic strategies to counter multidrug resistant clinical pathogens with special reference to antimicrobial peptides and their coatings
topic antimicrobial coating
antimicrobial peptide
antimicrobial resistance
peptide engineering
peptidomimetics
url https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/14/1/57
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