Combinations comprising dual β-lactams and a β-lactamase inhibitor achieve optimal synergistic inhibition of <i>Mycobacterium abscessus</i> growth.

ABSTRACT: The historical model, which posits that β-lactams inhibit bacterial growth while β-lactamase inhibitors (BLIs) merely protect β-lactams from enzymatic degradation, fails to fully explain their activity against Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab). This study demonstrates that synergistic effects extend beyond the traditional one β-lactam + one BLI paradigm, refuting the oversimplified mechanistic framework. First, β-lactam-based BLIs such as clavulanic acid, sulbactam, and tazobactam exhibit intrinsic antibacterial activity against Mab. These agents synergized not only with β-lactams but also with one another, undermining their historical classification as mere β-lactamase inhibitors. The data indicate that their activity is not limited to inhibiting β-lactamases but extends

SUBMITTER: Rimal B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12486838 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature