Resource limitation prevents the emergence of drug resistance by intensifying within-host competition.

ABSTRACT: Slowing the evolution of antimicrobial resistance is essential if we are to continue to successfully treat infectious diseases. Whether a drug-resistant mutant grows to high densities, and so sickens the patient and spreads to new hosts, is determined by the competitive interactions it has with drug-susceptible pathogens within the host. Competitive interactions thus represent a good target for resistance management strategies. Using an in vivo model of malaria infection, we show that limiting a resource that is disproportionately required by resistant parasites retards the evolution of drug resistance by intensifying competitive interactions between susceptible and resistant parasites. Resource limitation prevented resistance emergence regardless of whether resistant mutants arose de novo

SUBMITTER: Wale N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5748215 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature