Towards efficient immunotherapy for bacterial infection. Issue 2 (February 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: McCulloch, Timothy R.; Wells, Timothy J.; Souza-Fonseca-Guimaraes, Fernando
• Is Part Of: Trends in microbiology. Volume 30:Issue 2(2022)
• Page Start: 158
• Page End: 169
• Publication Date: 2022-02
• Subjects: bacterial infection -- antibiotic resistance -- immunosuppression -- immunotherapy -- immune reactivation; Microbiology -- Periodicals; Infection -- Periodicals; Virulence (Microbiology) -- Periodicals; Infection -- Periodicals; Microbiology -- Periodicals; Virulence -- Periodicals; Microbiologie -- Périodiques; Infection -- Périodiques; Virulence (Microbiologie) -- Périodiques; Infection; Microbiology; Virulence (Microbiology); 579
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2021.05.005
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0966-842X

Abstract

Abstract : The emergence of multiantibiotic-resistant bacteria, often referred to as superbugs, is leading to infections that are increasingly difficult to treat. Further, bacteria have evolved mechanisms by which they subvert the immune response, meaning that even antibiotic-sensitive bacteria can persist through antibiotic therapy. For these reasons, a broad range of viable therapeutic alternatives or conjunctions to traditional antimicrobial therapy are urgently required to reduce the burden of disease threatened by antibiotic resistance. Immunotherapy has emerged as a leading treatment option in cancer, and researchers are now attempting to apply this to infectious disease. This review summarizes and discusses the recent advances in the field and highlights current and future perspectives of using immunotherapies to treat bacterial infections. Highlights: Immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of cancer through the reversal of immunosuppression. Development of antibiotic resistance is a concerning trend that is reducing treatment options for bacterial infection. Cancer and bacterial infections share many hallmarks of suppression, suggesting that immunotherapy could also be a revolutionary tool for clinics to treat bacterial infections, including troublesome persistent and antibiotic-resistant infections such as tuberculosis. Preclinical data are rapidly emerging, showing that immune checkpoint inhibition, modulation of cytokines, and cellular therapies hold great promise for treating various bacterial infections. Clinical trials are urgently needed to determine the effectiveness and safety of utilizing immunotherapy in the face of the looming antibiotic-resistance crisis.