alternatives to antibiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation
Tomaž Bratkovič (Author), Abida Zahirović (Author), Maruša Rajh (Author), Maja Rupnik (Author), Borut Štrukelj (Author), Aleš Berlec (Author)

Abstract

Clostridioides difficile causes a range of debilitating intestinal symptoms that may be fatal. It is particularly problematic as a hospital-acquired infection, causing significant costs to the health care system. Antibiotics, such as vancomycin and fidaxomicin, are still the drugs of choice for C. difficile infections, but their effectiveness is limited, and microbial interventions are emerging as a new treatment option. This paper focuses on alternative treatment approaches, which are currently in various stages of development and can be divided into four therapeutic strategies. Direct killing of C. difficile (i) includes beside established antibiotics, less studied bacteriophages, and their derivatives, such as endolysins and tailocins. Restoration of microbiota composition and function (ii) is achieved with fecal microbiota transplantation, which has recently been approved, with standardized defined microbial mixtures, and with probiotics, which have been administered with moderate success. Prevention of deleterious effects of antibiotics on microbiota is achieved with agents for the neutralization of antibiotics that act in the gut and are nearing regulatory approval. Neutralization of C. difficile toxins (iii) which are crucial virulence factors is achieved with antibodies/antibody fragments or alternative binding proteins. Of these, the monoclonal antibody bezlotoxumab is already in clinical use. Immunomodulation (iv) can help eliminate or prevent C. difficile infection by interfering with cytokine signaling. Small-molecule agents without bacteriolytic activity are usually selected by drug repurposing and can act via a variety of mechanisms. The multiple treatment options described in this article provide optimism for the future treatment of C. difficile infection.

Keywords

mikrobiota;imunomodulacija;microbiota;immunomodulators;

Data

Language: English
Year of publishing:
Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
Organization: IJS - Jožef Stefan Institute
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
UDC: 615
COBISS: 192145923 Link will open in a new window
ISSN: 1949-0984
Views: 42
Downloads: 15
Average score: 0 (0 votes)
Metadata: JSON JSON-RDF JSON-LD TURTLE N-TRIPLES XML RDFA MICRODATA DC-XML DC-RDF RDF

Other data

Secondary language: Slovenian
Secondary title: New treatment approaches for Clostridioides difficile infections: alternatives to antibiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation
Secondary keywords: Clostridium difficile;Terapevtika;Bakteriofagi;Protitelesa;
Source comment: Nasl. z nasl. zasl.; Soavtorji: Abida Zahirović, Maruša Bizjak, Maja Rupnik, Borut Štrukelj, Aleš Berlec; Opis vira z dne 11. 4. 2024;
Pages: str. 1-34
Volume: ǂVol. ǂ16
Issue: ǂiss. ǂ1
Chronology: 2024
DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2024.2337312
ID: 25715344