The Relationship Between the Microbiome and Antimicrobial Resistance

Abstract

Antibiotics have benefitted human health since their introduction nearly a century ago. However, the rise of antibiotic resistance may portend the dawn of the “post-antibiotic age.” With the narrow pipeline for novel antimicrobials, we need new approaches to deal with the rise of multidrug resistant organisms. In the last 2 decades, the role of the intestinal microbiota in human health has been acknowledged and studied widely. Of the various activities carried out by the gut microbiota, colonization resistance is a key function that helps maintain homeostasis. Therefore, re-establishing a healthy microbiota is a novel strategy for treating drug resistance organisms. Preliminary studies suggest that this is a viable approach. However, the extent of their success still needs to be examined. Herein, we will review work in this area and suggest where future studies can further investigate this method for dealing with the threat of antibiotic resistance.

Boosting Fitness Costs Associated with Antibiotic Resistance in the Gut: On the Way to Biorestoration of Susceptible Populations

“…This change could result in a disadvantage in relation to antibiotic susceptible populations that might replace the resistant ones. This outcome has been confirmed by fecal microbiota transplantation where antibiotic-resistant high-risk clones, were replaced by susceptible clones from the fecal donor [14][15][16]. A schema of the different stresses to which potentially pathogenic bacteria are exposed during their transit in the intestinal tract is presented in Figure 1.…”

Microbiome Dynamics: A Paradigm Shift in Combatting Infectious Diseases

“…The microbiome can influence not only the effectiveness of treatment but also the development of drug resistance in infectious diseases [182]. Certain bacteria within the microbiome have been found to transfer antibiotic resistance genes to pathogenic bacteria, making them more difficult to treat [183,184].…”

“…The composition of the microbiome can vary among different populations due to factors such as geography, diet, and lifestyle [199]. The impact of meat on the microbiota in a vegan diet is still uncertain, as factors such as origin, sex, age, and pre-existing illnesses contribute to the observed differences in the gut microbiota of long-term vegetarians and vegans compared with omnivores [182]. While interpersonal variability in enterotype composition has shown no significant effect of diet on the microbiota, extreme diets can cause temporary changes.…”