Pentamidine sensitizes Gram-negative pathogens to antibiotics and overcomes acquired colistin resistance.

ABSTRACT: The increasing use of polymyxins¹ in addition to the dissemination of plasmid-borne colistin resistance threatens to cause a serious breach in our last line of defence against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens, and heralds the emergence of truly pan-resistant infections. Colistin resistance often arises through covalent modification of lipid A with cationic residues such as phosphoethanolamine-as is mediated by Mcr-1 (ref. 2)-which reduce the affinity of polymyxins for lipopolysaccharide³. Thus, new strategies are needed to address the rapidly diminishing number of treatment options for Gram-negative infections⁴. The difficulty in eradicating Gram-negative bacteria is largely due to their highly impermeable outer membrane, which serves as a barrie

SUBMITTER: Stokes JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5360458 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature