Innovative therapeutic approaches for overcoming antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a growing global health crisis, progressively undermining the efficacy of traditional antimicrobial therapies. The rapid evolution of resistance in bacterial, fungal, and viral pathogens poses significant challenges to clinical care and public health, prompting an urgent need for alternative strategies to manage infections. While historical efforts have largely focused on developing new antimicrobials, emerging research increasingly highlights the potential of leveraging the host immune system as a powerful therapeutic tool.Studies of host-pathogen interactions have identified exploitable targets within both innate and adaptive immune responses, opening avenues for immunotherapeutic interventions such as monoclonal antibodies, immunomodulatory biologics, and host-directed therapies. Despite these advances, the mechanisms by which the immune system efficiently clears or controls AMR pathogens remain incompletely understood. Critical knowledge gaps persist regarding immune evasion strategies, optimal antigen targets, and strategies to fine-tune immune responses to minimize immunopathology.This research topic aims to advance the development of next-generation immune-based therapeutics for infections caused by AMR pathogens. We welcome contributions describing novel therapeutics, including innovative drugs, vaccines, immunomodulatory agents, or other immune-based interventions. Research employing in vitro, in vivo, ex vivo, or in silico models, as well as advanced platforms such as organoids and organ-on-chip systems, is encouraged. Studies exploring the interplay between AMR pathogens and complex disease contexts, including HIV, COVID-19, and cancer, are particularly welcome, as they may uncover unique therapeutic opportunities and immunological vulnerabilities.Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:• Antimicrobial drugs: natural, synthetic, repurposed, nanoparticle-based, or combination therapy • Vaccines: recombinant, DNA vaccine, prime boost, mRNA, live attenuated vaccine, etc. • Precision and host-directed therapies: Antibody-drug conjugates (ADC), monoclonal antibodies, immunomodulatory biologics, and interventions that modulate host immunity while minimizing immunopathology.• Anti-biofilm strategies: Novel approaches to prevent, disrupt, or target microbial biofilms in infections.• Immunometabolism: Exploring metabolic pathways to identify novel therapeutic targets.• Therapeutic manipulation of the microbiota: Systems-level approaches to enhance treatment outcomes.• Novel delivery systems: Advanced methods for delivering drugs, vaccines, or immune-based therapies.• Systems and structural biology approaches: Leveraging multi-omics, computational modeling, AI and machine-learning tools, structural biology, and reverse vaccinology to prioritize targets, and enable advanced therapeutic and vaccine development.• Advanced high-resolution technologies: Single-cell immunoprofiling, CRISPR screens, spatial multi-omics, and integrative platforms that map pathogen niches, immune microenvironments, and therapeutic responses at cellular and tissue scales.• AMR in co-infections and complex diseases: Therapeutic strategies in contexts such as HIV, COVID-19, cancer, and other multifactorial disease settings, using in vitro and in vivo models.This collection seeks to highlight innovative, interdisciplinary, and translational approaches that can overcome AMR by harnessing the immune system and advanced technological platforms, ultimately contributing to more effective and sustainable infection management strategies. For this Research Topic, we welcome manuscripts that advance immune-based strategies against antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, including studies on novel vaccines, host-directed therapies, immunomodulatory biologics, and anti-biofilm or microbiota-targeted interventions. Submissions employing in vitro, in vivo, ex vivo, or advanced model systems such as organoids and organ-on-chip platforms are encouraged, as are integrative approaches using computational modeling, multi-omics, or high-resolution single-cell technologies. Manuscripts should provide mechanistic insights, translational potential, or therapeutic innovation, and may include Original Research, Reviews, Perspectives, Methods, or Clinical Reports. Studies addressing complex disease contexts or co-infections that reveal new therapeutic opportunities are particularly welcomed, with an emphasis on rigor, reproducibility, and relevance to overcoming antimicrobial resistance through immune-focused interventions. The topic editors declare no conflict of interest Topic editors: Raja Veerapandian, Aruna Singh, Selvakumar Subbian Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/76906/innovative-therapeutic-approaches-for-overcoming-antimicrobial-resistance