Antimicrobial Resistance
An Introduction to Antimicrobial Resistance
Antimicrobial resistance is one of the biggest public health crises worldwide. Many bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi can no longer be eradicated by existing antimicrobial agents. Antibiotic resistance in bacteria is particularly concerning, and has been largely attributed to the overuse and inappropriate use of antibiotics. There is an urgent need for enhanced understanding of drug resistance mechanisms and the development of novel strategies to control multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. New approaches being explored include immunotherapy, drug combination therapy, bacteriophage therapy and CRISPR, a genome editing technology. Nanotechnology is also emerging as a valuable therapeutic tool to combat antimicrobial resistance.