Can Drug Repurposing be Effective Against Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii?

Abstract

Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii has been classified as a top priority for the development of new therapies due to its resistance to most antibiotics. Drug repurposing may be a fast and inexpensive strategy for treating this pathogen. This review aims to critically evaluate repurposed drugs for the treatment of infections caused by carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii , correlating their antimicrobial activity with data available for toxicity and side effects. Some drugs have been suggested as promising candidates for repurposing; however, in some cases, high toxicity and low plasma concentrations reduce applicability in clinical practice. The most favorable applicability is offered by fusidic acid and colistin, possibly combined with a third agent, promising to be well tolerated and achieving satisfactory plasma concentrations.

Synergistic activities of colistin combined with other antimicrobial agents against colistin-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolates

“…Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen and is considered one of the most important nosocomial pathogens and can cause nosocomial diseases such as pneumonia, septicaemia, urinary tract infections, endocarditis, and meningitis [ 1 , 2 ]. A .…”

“…Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen and is considered one of the most important nosocomial pathogens and can cause nosocomial diseases such as pneumonia, septicaemia, urinary tract infections, endocarditis, and meningitis [1,2]. A. baumannii has become more challenging due to its ability to develop resistance to a wide spectrum of antimicrobial agents, including carbapenems [3].…”

CRISPR-Based Gene Editing in Acinetobacter baumannii to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance

“…These tools are utilized for the genetic screening and manipulation of bacterial genomes for AMR. The use of antibiotic markers (non-clinical and non-antibiotic) [ 152 , 157 ], antimicrobial peptides [ 158 ], transposon mutagenesis and screening (for high-throughput genetic screening) [ 159 , 160 , 161 ], anti-virulence compounds [ 162 ], suicide plasmids and linear DNA fragments (for gene deletion) [ 152 , 163 , 164 ], homologous recombination and complementation [ 165 , 166 ], phage therapy [ 166 , 167 , 168 ], nanoparticles [ 169 , 170 , 171 ], enzymes [ 54 , 172 ], drug repurposing [ 173 , 174 , 175 ], and vaccines [ 176 , 177 , 178 ] are common approaches to overcome AMR in bacteria.…”

The Battle Against Antibiotic Resistance: Novel Therapeutic Options for Acinetobacter baumannii

“…High doses of this drug are associated with serious side effects. This drug has recently been suggested to treat other diseases, such as cancer [66].…”