Strategies to Combat Antibiotic Resistance and Microbial Biofilms

Dear Colleagues,

Infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) microorganisms represent a growing threat to global public health and are one of the main problems faced worldwide, with a growing forecast for the coming decades. There are several MDR microorganisms listed as critical priorities for human health; thus, antimicrobial resistance is a pressing problem for the scientific community and the general population. Associated with the problem of multidrug resistance, bacteria and fungi may present virulence factors, such as biofilms, which consolidate an infection and hinder therapy. Biofilms are a collection of microbial cells adhered to surfaces encased in a self-produced complex matrix composed of extracellular polymeric substances, including exopolysaccharides, extracellular DNA (eDNA), and proteins. The treatment of infections caused by MDR microorganisms and biofilm producers becomes a challenge. Thus, the increasing inefficacy of current drugs for different infections is putting the achievements of modern medicine at risk. Due to the relevance and impact of these infections, researchers are constantly looking for new therapeutic approaches. Medicinal plants have been used for thousands of years in diverse traditional cultures around the world, and over the years have become increasingly popular in modern society. These plants play an important role in the prevention and treatment of human diseases, and are considered important sources for the development of new medicines. Synthetic products can also be used to prevent and treat diseases. They have well-defined structures, are manmade, and can be explored in medicinal chemistry programs for drug-planning methods based on the structure of the receptor and the structure of the ligand. There is also pharmaceutical nanotechnology, a science that proposes developing controlled drug delivery systems that can potentiate the biological activities of molecules, decrease toxicity, and maintain the plasma concentration of drugs within the therapeutic range, in addition to some drug delivery systems being biocompatible and biodegradable. Based on these findings, we invite researchers to contribute articles to this Special Issue, “Strategies to combat antibiotic resistance and microbial biofilms”.

Dr. Isabella Macário Ferro Cavalcanti
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• antibiotic resistance
• biofilms
• nanotechnology
• medicinal plants
• synthetic