Novel Antibiotics and Novel Modes of Action to Fight Infectious Diseases in Antimicrobial Resistance Era

Dear Colleagues,

Only a small percentage of novel discovered antibiotics are currently in the clinical trial phase, which is still insufficient to defeat the evolution of antimicrobial resistance in pathogens and to protect us from the emergence of new infectious diseases. For a long-term strategy, the discovery of novel antibiotics with mechanical and structural varieties from unexplored or rarely studied sources is still ongoing. Recently, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), causing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is spreading rapidly, leading to a global outbreak. This COVID-19 crisis would be an excellent example of what short-term strategy we need to overcome an emerging infectious disease. During this recent pandemic, there is no drug exhibiting a direct mode of action against SARS-CoV-2; however, some known medicines used for treatments of other relevant and/or occurring diseases have been tested for their activities to kill the virus or to treat COVID-19. Therefore, although antimicrobial resistance may result in the vitiation of several known drugs for treating their respective diseases, these drugs may have a hidden mode of action that is promising for the treatments of other or suddenly-emerging infectious diseases.

This Special Issue provides a platform for exchanging and updating our new insights into the discovery of novel antibiotics from various yet unexplored and underexplored sources to defeat infectious diseases in the antimicrobial resistance era and the hidden modes of action of currently available bioactive molecules using advanced in silico screening approaches and/or lab-based techniques. All types of articles falling within the scope of the above research areas are welcome.

Dr. Rungroch Sungthong
Dr. Rosa Alduina
Guest Editors

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