Small Molecules That Sabotage Bacterial Virulence.

The continued rise of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections has motivated alternative strategies for target discovery and treatment of infections. Antivirulence therapies function through inhibition of in vivo required virulence factors to disarm the pathogen instead of directly targeting viability or growth. This approach to treating bacteria-mediated diseases may have advantages over traditional antibiotics because it targets factors specific for pathogenesis, potentially reducing selection for resistance and limiting collateral damage to the resident microbiota. This review examines vulnerable molecular mechanisms used by bacteria to cause disease and the antivirulence compounds that sabotage these virulence pathways. By expanding the study of antimicrobial targets beyond those that are essential for growth, antivirulence strategies offer new and innovative opportunities to combat infectious diseases.