Title:Antibiotic Resistance and Microbiota Response
Volume: 29
Issue: 5
Author(s): Luigi Santacroce*, Marina Di Domenico, Monica Montagnani and Emilio Jirillo
Affiliation:
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, Section of Microbiology and Virology, School of Medicine, University of Bari “Aldo
Moro”, Bari, Italy
Keywords:
Antibiotics, antibiotic resistance, gut immunity, gut microbiota, multi-drug resistant bacteria, probiotics.
Abstract: Use of antibiotics has dramatically eradicated bacterial infections in humans and animals. However,
antibiotic overdose and abuse are responsible for the emergence of so-called multi-drug resistant bacteria. Gut
microbiota deserves many functions in the host, and among them, integrity of epithelial barrier and enhancement
of protective immune responses are included. There is evidence that antibiotic treatment decreases the diversity
of gut microbiota species, also provoking metabolic changes, increased susceptibility to colonization
and decrease of antimicrobial peptide secretion, leading to antibiotic resistance. In this review, the major mechanisms
involved in antibiotic resistance will be illustrated. However, novel findings on the potential use of alternative
treatments to overcome antibiotic resistance will be elucidated. In this regard, special emphasis will be
placed on microcins, prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics, as well as phage therapy and fecal microbial transplantation.