Targeting Bacterial Secretion Systems For The Development Of Novel Therapeutic Agents

Antibiotic resistance is threatening our ability to treat bacterial diseases. Scientific development to define new antibacterial targets, including those that inhibit microbial virulence rather than target essential cellular functions, is required to develop the therapeutics of the future. In this chapter we will discuss the feasibility of Gram-negative secretion systems as therapeutic targets, provide a synopsis of current research on the identification and development of secretion inhibitors, and discuss their possible future utility as antimicrobial agents.