Publication

Antibiotic Treatment, Mechanisms for Failure, and Adjunctive Therapies for Infections by Group A Streptococcus

Downloadable Content

Persistent URL
Last modified
  • 05/21/2025
Type of Material
Authors
    Anders F. Johnson, Emory UniversityChristopher LaRock, Emory University
Language
  • English
Date
  • 2021-11-04
Publisher
  • Frontiers
Publication Version
Copyright Statement
  • © 2021 Johnson and LaRock.
License
Final Published Version (URL)
Title of Journal or Parent Work
Volume
  • 12
Start Page
  • 760255
End Page
  • 760255
Grant/Funding Information
  • This work was supported by the NIH/NIAID (AI153071). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Abstract
  • Group A Streptococcus (GAS; Streptococcus pyogenes) is a nearly ubiquitous human pathogen responsible for a significant global disease burden. No vaccine exists, so antibiotics are essential for effective treatment. Despite a lower incidence of antimicrobial resistance than many pathogens, GAS is still a top 10 cause of death due to infections worldwide. The morbidity and mortality are primarily a consequence of the immune sequelae and invasive infections that are difficult to treat with antibiotics. GAS has remained susceptible to penicillin and other β-lactams, despite their widespread use for 80 years. However, the failure of treatment for invasive infections with penicillin has been consistently reported since the introduction of antibiotics, and strains with reduced susceptibility to β-lactams have emerged. Furthermore, isolates responsible for outbreaks of severe infections are increasingly resistant to other antibiotics of choice, such as clindamycin and macrolides. This review focuses on the challenges in the treatment of GAS infection, the mechanisms that contribute to antibiotic failure, and adjunctive therapeutics. Further understanding of these processes will be necessary for improving the treatment of high-risk GAS infections and surveillance for non-susceptible or resistant isolates. These insights will also help guide treatments against other leading pathogens for which conventional antibiotic strategies are increasingly failing.
Author Notes
Keywords
Research Categories
  • Health Sciences, Pharmacology
  • Health Sciences, Pathology

Tools

Relations

In Collection:

Items

Thumbnail Title File Description Date Uploaded Visibility Actions
file details Publication File - vp6pm.pdf Primary Content 2025-05-01 Public Download