Antimicrobial drugs

Chemotherapy

Use of drugs to treat disease.

Antimicrobial Drugs

Interfere with growth of microbes within a host.

Antibiotics

Substances produced by microbes that inhibit other microbes.

Selective Toxicity

A drug’s ability to harm microbes without damaging the host.

Broad-spectrum

Active against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

Narrow-spectrum

Effective against specific types of microbes.

Bactericidal

Kills bacteria.

Bacteriostatic

Inhibits growth/reproduction of bacteria.

Inhibition of Cell Wall Synthesis

Targets peptidoglycan in bacterial cell walls and includes drugs like Penicillin and Cephalosporins.

Augmentin

Combination of Amoxicillin and clavulanic acid, a β-lactamase inhibitor.

Polypeptide antibiotics

Includes Bacitracin and Vancomycin, which target cell wall synthesis.

Antimycobacterial antibiotics

Drugs like Isoniazid and Ethambutol that target mycobacteria.

Inhibition of Protein Synthesis

Targets 70S bacterial ribosomes, includes drugs like Chloramphenicol and Aminoglycosides.

Injury to Plasma Membrane

Drugs like Polymyxin B target membrane structures in fungi and bacteria.

Inhibition of Nucleic Acid Synthesis

Targets DNA/RNA synthesis enzymes with drugs like Rifampin and Quinolones.

Inhibition of Synthesis of Essential Metabolites

Involves drugs like Sulfonamides that inhibit folic acid synthesis.

Antiviral Drugs

Not antibiotics; they inhibit viral replication and are used for various viral infections.

Acyclovir

A guanine analog that inhibits viral DNA synthesis.

Protease Inhibitors

Prevent cleavage of viral proteins, used for HIV therapy.

Antifungal Drugs

Include Polyenes and Azoles which disrupt fungal membranes.

Antibiotic Resistance

Results from mutations, leading to mechanisms such as enzymatic destruction of drugs.

Disk-diffusion (Kirby-Bauer) test

Assesses antibiotic effectiveness via zone of inhibition.

Teixobactin

A narrow spectrum antibiotic effective against certain Gram-positive bacteria.

Halicin

A new antibiotic discovered via AI that disrupts bacterial protonmotive force.