The in vitro and the in silico power couple: facilitating the discovery of novel anti infective strategies based on antimicrobial peptides and quorum sensing inhibitors

Abstract

[Excerpt] The persistent growth of antibiotic-resistance and the resilience of biofilm-related infections is pressing researchers to develop novel strategies to control infectious diseases. New antimicrobial strategies, namely concerning the use of i) antimicrobial peptides (AMP) (natural compounds with alternative mechanisms of action), ii) quorum-sensing inhibitors (QSI) (destabilisers of key communication mechanisms that regulate virulence and biofilm formation); and iii) antimicrobial combinations (can lower effective concentrations and achieve synergy), can lead to more effective therapeutics for this ever-growing, world-wide problem. [...]