title: New antibiotics for bacterial infections.
abstract: All the available ophthalmic antibiotics have strengths and weaknesses. There is not yet a magic bullet that would successfully treat all infections without harm to the host. The challenges of the future are the same as the challenges of the past: to battle bacterial infections with the least toxic, least expensive, lowest dosing frequency antibiotic and yet clear the infection more quickly. The war between humans and bacteria seems like a hopeless one because of the sheer numbers of bacteria, their incredible ability to adapt, and their unembarrassed penchant for reproduction. And yet the ingenuity and tenacity of humans cannot be overlooked. Already more than 10,000 fluoroquinolone agents have been developed and tested since the original discovery of nalidixic acid in 1962. With the newer agents soon to be available, including moxifloxacin and gatifloxacin, clinicians will be armed with the most potent antimicrobial agents yet. The not too distant future is also bright with agents coming from research of quorum sensing and genomics. Only time will tell how these newer agents will compare with the current ophthalmic antibiotics.
authors.affiliation: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Charles T. Campbell Ophthalmic Microbiology Laboratory, Eye and Ear Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. mahfs@msx.upmc.edu
authors.forename: Francis S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Mah
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents