Antibacterial drug discovery: Perspective insights

Abstract

Over the last two decades, the development of new antibacterial drugs has been very limited due to many reasons. In light of the alarming situation of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), it is now vital to act promptly to develop new ways to combat the resistance problem through an integrated approach. Despite the slow progress of drug discovery by pharmaceutical companies, natural products have definitely provided an abundant source of new antibacterial leads. On the other hand, genomics- and proteomics-based drug discovery approaches have been more disappointing when it comes to the discovery of new antibacterials with novel modes of action. In the recent past, improved screening strategies and developments in target identification and validation, combinatorial chemistry, and the use of biochemical synthetic-based approaches have provided hope for the development of new antibacterial leads. Other approaches like novel anti-infective and anti-virulence target-based strategies such as quorum sensing, biofilm, virulence, and pathogenicity inhibitors are gaining popularity among drug discovery researchers. Similarly, nanotechnology-based drug delivery has seemingly unlimited application for improving the efficacy of antibiotics, where metallic and natural nanomaterials with antibacterial efficacy are under scrutiny for their possible therapeutic application. In this chapter, we aim to provide a brief overview and discussion of the potential for the various strategies mentioned above to combat drug-resistant bacterial infections.