Non-Antibiotic and Adjuvant Therapies for Drug-Resistant Bacterial Infections

Antibiotic resistance represents a critical global health problem, affecting millions of lives each year. The rapid emergence of resistance to existing antibiotics is driven by multiple factors, including inappropriate use, overuse in clinical and agricultural settings, and the slow pace of effective antibiotic discovery.

As traditional antibiotic approaches often fail against these resistant strains, novel non-antibiotic and adjuvant therapies are urgently needed. These therapeutic strategies include rationally designed antimicrobial peptides and peptide conjugates, anti-virulence compounds, phytochemicals, bacteriophage therapy, adjuvants, nanoparticles, probiotics, faecal microbiota transplantation, and antibody-based methods. The mechanisms of action of these novel approaches include action on biofilm, virulence factors, pathogenesis, resistance mechanisms, and host-pathogen interactions, thereby reducing the selective pressure and limiting the further emergence of resistant strains.

This Research Topic summarises available non-antibiotic and adjuvant therapeutic strategies to control and manage infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria. It also aims to integrate cutting-edge research focusing on mechanisms of action, translational studies, and early clinical evidence of novel antibacterial agents for the mitigation of drug-resistant bacterial infections.

We welcome contributions from researchers working on non-antibiotic and adjuvant molecules, including original articles, reviews, mini reviews, methods, and case studies on, but not limited to, the following topics:

- Use of nanoparticles, efflux pump inhibitors, anti-biofilm agents, quorum-sensing inhibitors, and anti-virulence compounds as non-antibiotic antimicrobial strategies against drug-resistant pathogens.
- Synergistic combination strategies employing antimicrobial peptides, nanoparticles, or efflux pump inhibitors alongside antibiotics to overcome resistance.
- Mechanisms of action for non-antibiotic and adjuvant compounds.
- Isolation, genomic characterisation, and clinical evaluation of bacteriophage-based treatments.
- Probiotic and faecal microbiota transplantation strategies for infection mitigation.
- Antibody, antimicrobial peptide, and peptide conjugate interventions, including nano-formulation-enabled delivery strategies, targeting resistance mechanisms.
- Translational studies and case reports illuminating clinical implementation challenges and successes.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: antibiotic resistance, critical pathogens, anti-virulence, efflux pump inhibitors, nanoparticles, probiotics, adjuvants, bacteriophage therapy, non-antibiotic therapeutics, biofilm inhibition, quorum sensing

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.