Antibiotics - the next generation?

SomeDose

I didn't want to hijack the bacterium thread so I thought I'd throw one out to the microbiology gurus amongst us, especially those involved in research:
What are the next sexy developments in the antibiotic pipeline?

Now personally (and let's use MRSA as an example since it's a fairly hot topic), I'm aware that there are quite a few new drugs not far off from entering clinical practice. Most of these seem to be analogues and re-developments of exisiting drugs such as glycopeptides (e.g. dalbavancin, which can be dosed once-weekly). However, resistance to the current crop of glycopeptides has already been established so it's inevitable these new drugs will encounter the same challenges in time.

Back when I was in uni (not that long ago), the "next big thing" were the peptide molecules isolated from the likes of crocodile blood, sharks and certain frog species' skin. These reportedly pretty much obliterated any micro-organism in vitro and bacterial resistance was much more difficult to develop due to the nature of their pharmacology, so understandably there was plenty of optimism about their potential clinical applications. Now I admit I haven't really been keeping up to date with the progress of these agents, but there doesn't seem to be much noise been made about them in recent years.

Anyone shed any light on these, or any other potential antibiotic candidates we should be excited about?

DrIndy

considering we now have metalloproteinase resistant pseudomonas which have the potential for high resistance to all antibiotics - we need new options.

There is also VRSA and ESBL gram negatives which need meropenem to work.

We need new options and also better husbandry of the ones we have

Vorsprung

We also need to properly use the antibiotics we have at the minute.

This means switching patients to specific antibiotics once sensitivities are available, and not prescribing antibiotics for viruses!

Kevster

Well, another problem is the fact that antibiotics are used in animal feeds everyday to allow for the animal to grow as big as possible. This overuse of them (antibiotics) cannot be good long term. We don't want to go back to the days when young people die from 'simple' infections, do we?

... ...when all is said and done, it will be the bacteria that are the remaining lifeforms on Earth; and it will be they who then 'regenerate' complex life-forms once again.