Mining Bacterial Cell Division for New Antibacterial Drugs
Leigh G. Monahan, Michael A. D'Elia and Elizabeth J. Harry
from: Emerging Trends in Antibacterial Discovery: Answering the Call to Arms (Edited by: Alita A. Miller and Paul F. Miller). Caister Academic Press, U.K. (2011)
Abstract
The alarming rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria in hospitals and the community has exposed a critical need for new drugs that are not merely variants of older antibiotics, but target previously unexploited proteins and pathways. The wealth of available knowledge on the process of bacterial cell division implicates the division pathway as an excellent potential target, and has aided target-driven approaches to identify novel inhibitors. In this chapter we discuss the therapeutic potential of inhibiting bacterial divison based on a strong foundation of basic research into the division mechanism and its regulation in model bacteria, and more recently, clinically relevant pathogens. In addition, we review the progress made towards identifying division inhibitors, describe new approaches for antibacterial drug development targeting division and discuss the potential challenges for the future of this exciting new area of antibacterial discovery read more ...
