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Pathogens old, new, and revived

Nature Biotechnology volume 17, pages BV17–BV18 (1999)Cite this article

In the last quarter of this century, the emergence of completely new pathogenic microbes has occurred somewhat rarely. Nevertheless sometimes the phenomenon is spectacular, no more so perhaps than with the appearance of the human immunodeficiency virus and the characterization of new hepatitis viruses. A number of bacterial species, too, have been identified as pathogens since 1975: Legionella gormanii, Borrelia burgdorferi, Helicobacter pylori, Bartonella henselae and Chlamydia pneumoniae. The relative rarity of these discoveries warrants neither naive optimism nor complacency. For bacterial infectious diseases, the remarkable genetic variability and adaptability of microorganisms constitutes a recurrent source of problems for clinicians. Mutations and exchanges of genetic material result in strains that resist the usual chemotherapeutic agents. They will be selected for and thrive when the agents are used.

Other factors also serve to dull optimism in those combating bacterial disease. In developed countries, relatively innocuous infectious agents can represent a lethal threat for the elderly. Prevailing socioeconomic conditions, rather than microbial evolution, have been responsible for a resurgence in tuberculosis among the poor. Both the poor and the elderly represent increasing proportions of the populations of industrialized nations.

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Figure 1: β-lactam antibiotic family members; (A) penicillins or penams; (B) cephalosporins or cephems; (C) cephamycins or 7-b-methoxy-cephems; (D) carbapenems; (E) monobactams.

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Acknowledgements

The work of our laboratory is supported by the Belgian Government through the PAI Program (P4/03). The authors thank Professor P. De Mol for his interesting suggestions.

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  1. Centre d'Ingénierie des Protéines, Université de Liège, Institut de Chimie, B6, Sart-Tilman, Liège, B4000, Belgium

    Jean-Marie Frère, Alain Dubus & Eveline Fonzé

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  1. Jean-Marie Frère
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  2. Alain Dubus
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  3. Eveline Fonzé
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Frère, JM., Dubus, A. & Fonzé, E. Pathogens old, new, and revived. Nat Biotechnol 17 (Suppl 2), BV17–BV18 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/7158

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