Abstract
Over the past few decades, the emergence of multidrug resistance (MDR) to antibiotics in bacteria has led to major difficulties in the management of infected patients. At present, there is a serious lack of development of new antibacterial agents. Mathematical models are one approach to understand how antibiotic usage patterns may be optimized. However, the classical approach to modeling the emergence of MDR relies on the simplifying assumption that resistance is acquired at a constant rate. In their model, Obolski and Hadany introduce the notion of horizontal gene transfer and stress-induced mutation, with antibiotics constituting an environmental stressor of particular relevance. Finally, from this complex mathematical model, the authors propose predictions for minimizing MDR in bacteria depending on strategies of antibiotic treatment.Please see related article: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/10/89
Highlights
Over the past few decades, the emergence of bacteria resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents has led to major difficulties in the management of infected patients
Clinical importance of the mathematical model In their rationale, Obolski and Hadany highlighted the importance of three different strategies of antibiotic prescribing to minimize the emergence of multidrug resistance (MDR)
The originality in the model used by Obolski and Hadany is to introduce the notion of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and stress-induced mutation (SIM), antibiotics constituting an environmental stressor of particular relevance
Summary
Over the past few decades, the emergence of bacteria resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents has led to major difficulties in the management of infected patients. In a study by Obolski and Hadany published in BMC Medicine, the authors’ objective was to explore the impact of genetic variation induced by antibiotic stress on the spread of Clinical importance of the mathematical model In their rationale, Obolski and Hadany highlighted the importance of three different strategies (cycling, mixing and combining) of antibiotic prescribing to minimize the emergence of MDR. The authors noted the ability of each strategy to prevent the risk of emergence of MDR, indicating that more antibiotics were used in combining than in mixing or cycling.
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