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Review
. 2019 Oct 21:8:F1000 Faculty Rev-1781.
doi: 10.12688/f1000research.19441.1. eCollection 2019.

Antibiotic chemotherapy against heterogeneous pathogen populations in complex host tissues

Dirk Bumann  1 , Joseph Fanous  1 , Jiagui Li  1 , Frédéric Goormaghtigh  1
Affiliations
Review

Antibiotic chemotherapy against heterogeneous pathogen populations in complex host tissues

Dirk Bumann et al. F1000Res. .

Abstract

Antibiotic chemotherapy effectively cures many infections caused by susceptible bacterial pathogens. However, in some cases, even extended treatment duration does not completely eradicate the pathogenic bacteria from host tissues. A common model for underlying mechanisms assumes the stochastic formation of bacterial persisters similar to observations in laboratory cultures. However, alternative explanations related to the complexity of infected host tissues could also be relevant. We discuss several of these aspects and emphasize the need for integrated analysis as a basis for new control strategies.

Keywords: Antibiotics; Heterogeneity; Persistence.

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Conflict of interest statement

No competing interests were disclosed.No competing interests were disclosed.No competing interests were disclosed.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Treatment failures and potential causes.
( A) Incomplete eradication of bacterial pathogens during extended antimicrobial chemotherapy causes a risk for relapses after termination of therapy. ( B) Possible mechanisms that enable a bacterial subset (red) to survive during treatment while the rest of the bacterial population (blue) is successfully eradicated.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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