Combination Therapy Against Multidrug Resistance: A Promising Strategy

Combination therapy is a potent strategy to combat multidrug resistance, which is becoming a significant problem in both developed and developing nations. This approach offers potential benefits such as a broad spectrum of efficacy, greater potency than the drugs used in monotherapy, improved safety and tolerability, and reduction in the number of resistant organisms.

Understanding Multidrug Resistance

Multidrug resistance (MDR) occurs when microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites are excessively exposed to antimicrobial drugs such as antibiotics, antifungals, or antivirals. In response, the microorganism undergoes mutations or develops different resistance mechanisms to combat the drug for its survival. Bacterial resistance to antibiotics has developed faster than the production of new antibiotics, making bacterial infections increasingly difficult to treat, and the same is true for a variety of other diseases.

Combination Therapy: A Promising Solution

Combination therapy proves to be a promising strategy as it offers potential benefits such as a broad spectrum of efficacy, greater potency than the drugs used in monotherapy, improved safety and tolerability, and reduction in the number of resistant organisms. This book considers how combination therapy can be applied in multiple situations, including cancer, HIV, tuberculosis, fungal infections, and more.

Key Applications of Combination Therapy

Combination therapy can be applied in various fields to combat multidrug resistance, including:

• Cancer: Combination therapy can be used to target multiple pathways in cancer cells, enhancing efficacy and reducing resistance.
• HIV: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a combination therapy approach that has significantly improved the survival and quality of life of HIV-infected individuals.
• Tuberculosis: Combination therapy is essential for treating tuberculosis, as it reduces the risk of resistance development and improves treatment outcomes.
• Fungal Infections: Combination therapy can be used to treat fungal infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients where the risk of resistance is high.
• Malaria: Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) are recommended by the World Health Organization for the treatment of malaria.

Future Directions

Combination therapy is a promising strategy to combat multidrug resistance. Further research is needed to identify optimal drug combinations and to understand the mechanisms of resistance. Government agencies and the industrial sector should invest more in research and development of this strategy as a weapon to tackle the multidrug resistance problem.

Target Audience

This book will be useful to academics and researchers involved in the development of new antimicrobial or antiinfective agents and treatment strategies to combat multidrug resistance. Clinicians and medical nurses working in the field of infection prevention and control (IPC) will also find the book relevant.