Alternative Therapies

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance is one of the leading public health concerns across the globe. Antibiotics are losing their effectiveness, leading to uncertainty in available treatment options to clinicians. Resistance to antibiotics is at an all-time high, and there is a pressing demand to look for alternative antimicrobial candidates other than antibiotics. Alternative therapies include use of bacteriophages, lytic proteins, nanoparticles, phytochemicals, quorum quenchers, and other antibacterial or antivirulent agents that can eradicate bacterial infection alone or in conjunction with antibiotics. Alternative therapies can replace or lower the effective antibiotic dose, which can help to tackle antibiotic resistance as well as counter its side effects. For sustainable development of antimicrobials against drug resistant bugs, novel alternative strategies need to be explored in the near future. Alternative therapies can help researchers to construct a toolbox containing a variety of antimicrobial agents, which can be used alone, in combination with other agents, or in rotation.