Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a major global public health challenge, significantly reducing the effectiveness of existing antimicrobial therapies and increasing morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs worldwide. Among resistant organisms, the ESKAPE pathogens—Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.—are particularly concerning due to their ability to evade multiple classes of antibiotics and their prominent role in healthcare-associated infections. These pathogens exhibit a wide range of resistance mechanisms, including enzymatic drug inactivation through β-lactamases, modification of antibiotic target sites, overexpression of efflux pumps, reduced membrane permeability, biofilm formation, and horizontal gene transfer. In addition, pathogen-specific adaptations such as methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus, carbapenem resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii, and vancomycin resistance in Enterococcus faecium further complicate treatment strategies. Current therapeutic approaches include the use of novel β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations, siderophore antibiotics, and combination therapy to enhance antimicrobial efficacy.
Sudipta Mukherjee (Wed,) studied this question.