Research priorities towards precision antibiotic therapy to improve patient care

Zackery P. Bulman, Sebastian G. Wicha, Elisabet I. Nielsen, Justin R. Lenhard, Roger L. Nation, Ursula Theuretzbacher, Hartmut Derendorf, Thomas Tängdén, Markus Zeitlinger, Cornelia B. Landersdorfer, Jürgen B. Bulitta, Lena E. Friberg, Jian Li, Brian T. Tsuji, on behalf of the International Society of Anti-Infective Pharmacology, European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Anti-Infectives Study Group, and the International Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Anti-Infective Pharmacology Working Group

Research output: Contribution to journalReview ArticleResearchpeer-review

29 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance presents an incessant threat to our drug armamentarium that necessitates novel approaches to therapy. Over the past several decades, investigation of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PKPD) principles has substantially improved our understanding of the relationships between the antibiotic, pathogen, and infected patient. However, crucial gaps in our understanding of the pharmacology of antibacterials and their optimal use in the care of patients continue to exist; simply attaining antibiotic exposures that are considered adequate based on traditional targets can still result in treatment being unsuccessful and resistance proliferation for some infections. It is this salient paradox that points to key future directions for research in antibiotic therapeutics. This Personal View discusses six priority areas for antibiotic pharmacology research: (1) antibiotic-pathogen interactions, (2) antibiotic targets for combination therapy, (3) mechanistic models that describe the time-course of treatment response, (4) understanding and modelling of host response to infection, (5) personalised medicine through therapeutic drug management, and (6) application of these principles to support development of novel therapies. Innovative approaches that enhance our understanding of antibiotic pharmacology and facilitate more accurate predictions of treatment success, coupled with traditional pharmacology research, can be applied at the population level and to individual patients to improve outcomes.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)e795-e802
Number of pages8
JournalThe Lancet Microbe
Volume3
Issue number10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2022

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