Journal Article

Combinations of antibiotics and nonantibiotic drugs enhance antimicrobial efficacy

Wright, Gerard D, Coombes, Brian K, Wildenhain, Jan, Tyers, Mike, Falconer, Shannon B, Brown, Eric D, Ejim, Linda, Farha, Maya A

2011

Overview

The systematic exploration of off-patent drugs in combination with the antibiotic minocycline uncovers unexpected synergies in antibiotic-nonantibiotic pairs. These interactions are exemplified by the nonantibiotic loperamide, which finds a new function in facilitating tetracycline uptake. Combinations of antibiotics are commonly used in medicine to broaden antimicrobial spectrum and generate synergistic effects. Alternatively, combination of nonantibiotic drugs with antibiotics offers an opportunity to sample a previously untapped expanse of bioactive chemical space. We screened a collection of drugs to identify compounds that augment the activity of the antibiotic minocycline. Unexpected synergistic drug combinations exhibited in vitro and in vivo activity against bacterial pathogens, including multidrug–resistant isolates.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group US,Nature Publishing Group
• Subject: 631/326/22/1290 / 631/92/609 / 692/700/565/1436/1437 / Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology / Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use / Antibiotics / Biochemical Engineering / Biochemistry / Bioorganic Chemistry / brief-communication / Cell Biology / Chemistry / Chemistry and Materials Science / Chemistry/Food Science / Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial - drug effects / Drug Synergism / Drug therapy / Drug Therapy, Combination - methods / Medicine / Minocycline - pharmacology / Minocycline - therapeutic use / Pathogens / Synergistic effect