War against ESKAPE Pathogens

Abstract

ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) are the prominent reasons of Healthcare-Acquired Infections (HAIs) with multidrug resistance against vancomycin, carbapenem, methicillin, and extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL). Multidrug resistance develops owing to inappropriate prescription, poor quality pharmaceuticals, patient non-compliance, and use of antimicrobials as growth promoters. The worst is the fact that resistance development and spread are continuous processes to the extent that present times are times of extensively drug resistant and totally drug resistant pathogens (confirmed worldwide). These dangerous pathogens pose global threat of the magnitude to the extent of reversing the situation to pre-antibiotic era as they have left majority of efficient antibiotics futile and estimates show expected death rates are 10 million/year by 2050. Considering this global havoc due to ESKAPEs intensive research from academia and industry is going on with significant success about the causes, mechanisms, spreading ways, and most importantly the novel/alternative strategies to combat them all. Substitute therapies such as combination use of antibiotics or immunomodulators/adjuvants with antibiotics, nanoparticles, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), AMPs with antibodies, star polymers, and structurally nano-engineered antimicrobial peptide polymers (SNAPPs) all these aspects are well discussed and reviewed here.