Egan Kevin, Ross R Paul, Hill Colin
School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
APC Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
Emerg Top Life Sci. 2017 Apr 21;1(1):55-63. doi: 10.1042/ETLS20160015.
Antibiotics have revolutionised the treatment of infectious disease and improved the lives of billions of people worldwide over many decades. With the rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and corresponding lack of antibiotic development, we find ourselves in dire need of alternative treatments. Bacteriocins are a class of bacterially produced, ribosomally synthesised, antimicrobial peptides that may be narrow or broad in their spectra of activity. Animal models have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of bacteriocins in treating a broad range of infections; however, one of the principal drawbacks has been their relatively narrow spectra when compared with small-molecule antibiotics. In an era where we are beginning to appreciate the role of the microbiota in human and animal health, the fact that bacteriocins cause much less collateral damage to the host microbiome makes them a highly desirable therapeutic. This review makes a case for the implementation of bacteriocins as therapeutic antimicrobials, either alone or in combination with existing antibiotics to alleviate the AMR crisis and to lessen the impact of antibiotics on the host microbiome.
抗生素彻底改变了传染病的治疗方式，几十年来改善了全球数十亿人的生活。随着抗菌药物耐药性（AMR）的上升以及相应的抗生素研发不足，我们迫切需要替代治疗方法。细菌素是一类由细菌产生、核糖体合成的抗菌肽，其活性谱可能较窄或较宽。动物模型已经证明了细菌素在治疗多种感染方面的安全性和有效性；然而，与小分子抗生素相比，其主要缺点之一是活性谱相对较窄。在我们开始认识到微生物群在人类和动物健康中的作用的时代，细菌素对宿主微生物群造成的附带损害要小得多，这一事实使其成为一种非常理想的治疗方法。本综述主张将细菌素作为治疗性抗菌药物单独使用或与现有抗生素联合使用，以缓解AMR危机并减轻抗生素对宿主微生物群的影响。
