Harnessing the power of the genome in the search for new antibiotics.
Over the past 40 years, the search for new antibiotics has been largely restricted to well-known compound classes active against a standard set of drug targets. Although many effective compounds have been discovered, insufficient chemical variability has been generated to prevent a serious escalation in clinical resistance. Recent advances in genomics have provided an opportunity to expand the range of potential drug targets and have facilitated a fundamental shift from direct antimicrobial screening programs toward rational target-based strategies. The application of genome-based technologies such as expression profiling and proteomics will lead to further changes in the drug discovery paradigm by combining the strengths and advantages of both screening strategies in a single program.
Rosamond
J
J
AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK10 4TG, UK.
Allsop
A
A
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D019295:Computational Biology; D015195:Drug Design; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D016681:Genome, Fungal; D020543:Proteome
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D020543:Proteome