The population genetics of antibiotic resistance: integrating molecular mechanisms and treatment contexts.
Despite efforts from a range of disciplines, our ability to predict and combat the evolution of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria is limited. This is because resistance evolution involves a complex interplay between the specific drug, bacterial genetics and both natural and treatment ecology. Incorporating details of the molecular mechanisms of drug resistance and ecology into evolutionary models has proved useful in predicting the dynamics of resistance evolution. However, putting these models to practical use will require extensive collaboration between mathematicians, molecular biologists, evolutionary ecologists and clinicians.
MacLean
R Craig
RC
Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK. craig.maclean@zoo.ox.ac.uk
Hall
Alex R
AR
Perron
Gabriel G
GG
Buckling
Angus
A
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005828:Genetics, Population / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics*; D018511:Systems Integration
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents