title: Using combination therapy to thwart drug resistance.
abstract: Drug combination therapy is a promising strategy to extend the lifespan of our antimicrobials. Drug combinations used in treatment must be carefully selected to minimize the evolution of resistance, either by carefully determining drug pairs that hinder the acquisition of resistance mechanisms, or by screening for combinations that inhibit growth and show reduced vulnerability to resistance. Modeling of interactions between drugs has provided intriguing insights into strategies for combination therapy deployment. Ultimately, more rigorous clinical trials need to be performed to evaluate the laboratory and modeling results and advance treatment options.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Medical Sciences Building, Room 4368, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada.
authors.forename: Jessica A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Medical Sciences Building, Room 4368, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada.
authors.forename: Leah E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Cowen
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents
keywords: antimicrobials; combination therapy; drug interactions; drug resistance; modeling drug resistance; resistance mechanisms