Investigating the Mechanisms of Antimicrobial Resistance
Abstract
Since their discovery, antimicrobial agents have revolutionized the treatment of infectious disease. However, increased use of these agents contributed to the development of microbial resistance almost immediately, rendering these treatments less effective, or often useless. Despite considerable pressures on the scientific community, few new classes of antimicrobial agents have been discovered since the antibiotic era (1950-1970). Microbes’ astonishing ability to adapt to antibiotics has posed a serious threat to the modern health care system. In order to reduce the prevalence of resistance and develop new antimicrobial agents, it is crucial to understand the origins of antibiotics, the development of resistance through evolutionary mechanisms, and the biochemical mode of action of antibiotics along with their associated resistance pathways.
This review investigates the various mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, from both an evolutionary and biochemical standpoint. Microbes are able to adapt and mutate at unparalleled rates through mechanisms such as horizontal gene transfer and high reproduction rates. Acquired resistance mechanisms include modifying enzymes, point mutations in the target site of antibiotics, and reduced uptake of antibiotics. This paper concludes by considering responses to the current crisis in microbial resistance, such as preventative measures and the development of new antibiotics.
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