The therapeutic potential of indole hybrids, dimers, and trimers against drug‐resistant ESKAPE pathogens

Abstract

Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter (ESKAPE) species as causative agents are characterized by increased levels of resistance toward multiple classes of first‐line as well as last‐resort antibiotics and represent serious global health concerns, creating a critical need for the development of novel antibacterials with therapeutic potential against drug‐resistant ESKAPE species. Indole derivatives with structural and mechanistic diversity demonstrated broad‐spectrum antibacterial activity against various clinically important pathogens including drug‐resistant ESKAPE. Moreover, several indole‐based agents that are exemplified by creatmycin have already been used in clinics or under clinical trials for the treatment of bacterial infections, demonstrating that indole derivatives hold great promise for the development of novel antibacterials. This review is an endeavor to highlight the current scenario of indole hybrids, dimers, and trimers with therapeutic potential against drug‐resistant ESKAPE pathogens, covering articles published from 2020 to the present, to open new avenues for the exploration of novel antidrug‐resistant ESKAPE candidates.