Advantages and Challenges of Using Antimicrobial Peptides in Synergism with Antibiotics for Treating Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria

Abstract

Multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDR) have become a global threat, impairing positive outcomes in many cases of infectious diseases. Treating bacterial infections with antibiotic monotherapy has become a huge challenge in modern medicine. Although conventional antibiotics can be efficient against many bacteria, there is still a need to develop antimicrobial agents that act against MDR bacteria. Bioactive peptides, particularly effective against specific types of bacteria, are recognized for their selective and effective action against microorganisms and, at the same time, are relatively safe and well tolerated. Therefore, a growing number of works have proposed the use of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in synergism with commercial antibiotics as an alternative therapeutic strategy. This review provides an overview of the critical parameters for using AMPs in synergism with antibiotics as well as addressing the strengths and weaknesses of this combination therapy using in vitro and in vivo models of infection. We also cover the challenges and perspectives of using this approach for clinical practice and the advantages of applying artificial intelligence strategies to predict the most promising combination therapies between AMPs and antibiotics.