Ontwikkeling van antibioticaresistentie

Antibiotic resistance is a genetically encoded trait that enables bacteria to survive antibiotic treatments.

Some bacteria exhibit intrinsic resistance, such as cell walls of Gram-negative bacteria, naturally restricting antibiotic entry.

Enterococcus faecium alters its peptidoglycan to resist vancomycin, while some bacteria downregulate porins to limit antibiotic entry.

Efflux pumps, as found in E. coli, can expel several antibiotics, contributing to multidrug resistance.

Penicillin-resistant bacteria produce enzymes that degrade β-lactam rings, blocking cell wall disruption, though not all β-lactams are affected.

Superbugs like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus carry genetic islands that alter penicillin-binding proteins, making β-lactams and other antibiotics ineffective.

Some pathogens, like Leishmania spp., can bypass drug action using alternative metabolic pathways.

Resistance can arise from spontaneous mutations in chromosomal DNA or through horizontal gene transfer of resistance genes.

Certain bacteria, like Mycobacterium tuberculosis, can temporarily withstand antibiotics by entering dormancy or forming biofilms.