title: Understanding the longevity of the beta-lactam antibiotics and of antibiotic/beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations.
abstract: Microbial resistance necessitates the search for new targets and new antibiotics. However, it is likely that resistance problems will eventually threaten these new products and it may, therefore, be instructive to review the successful employment of beta-lactam antibiotic/beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations to combat penicillin resistance. These combination drugs have proven successful for more than two decades, with inhibitor resistance still being relatively rare. The beta-lactamase inhibitors are mechanism-based irreversible inactivators. The ability of the inhibitors to avoid resistance may be due to the structural similarities between the substrate and inhibitor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275-0314, USA. jbuynak@smu.edu
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Buynak
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D015195:Drug Design; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007769:Lactams / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018440:beta-Lactam Resistance / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D065093:beta-Lactamase Inhibitors
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D007769:Lactams; D065093:beta-Lactamase Inhibitors