Antibiotic Resistance: From Darwin to Lederberg to Keynes

作者:Amabile Cuevas Carlos F*
来源:Microbial Drug Resistance, 2013, 19(2): 73-87.
DOI:10.1089/mdr.2012.0115

摘要

The emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria reflects both, a gradual, completely Darwinian evolution, which mostly yields slight decreases in antibiotic susceptibility, along with phenotypes that are not precisely characterized as "resistance"; and sudden changes, from full susceptibility to full resistance, which are driven by a vast array of horizontal gene transfer mechanisms. Antibiotics select for more than just antibiotic resistance (i.e., increased virulence and enhanced gene exchange abilities); and many non-antibiotic agents or conditions select for or maintain antibiotic resistance traits as a result of a complex network of underlying and often overlapping mechanisms. Thus, the development of new antibiotics and thoughtful, integrated anti-infective strategies is needed to address the immediate and long-term threat of antibiotic resistance. Since the biology of resistance is complex, these new drugs and strategies will not come from free-market forces, or from "incentives" for pharmaceutical companies.

  • 出版日期2013-4