Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health threat that is on the rise. It is estimated that at least 700,000 deaths per year worldwide are attributable to antimicrobial-resistant strains and this number is predicted to increase to 10 million deaths per year by 2050 if the incidence of antimicrobial resistance continues to escalate. Strategies to reduce drug resistance and develop innovative treatments are underway, but resistance mechanisms continue to emerge. Therefore, it is imperative that newly emerging antimicrobial resistance markers are quickly identified and that the corresponding strains are used as reference materials in future research and development efforts.
To support this need, ATCC provides an expanding collection of clinically relevant, antimicrobial-resistant strains with extensive levels of source metadata and genotypic and phenotypic characterization. These materials provide essential tools for the development, verification, and evaluation of rapid detection methods, innovative therapeutic techniques, novel antibiotics, and updated sterility protocols. Explore our resources below to find the tools needed for your essential research.
Resources for drug resistance research
The Rise of Multidrug Resistant Strains and the Need for New Therapeutic Approaches
The emergence of multidrug-resistant organisms in both community- and hospital-acquired infections is resulting in increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare expense. The growing threat of antimicrobial resistance calls for a new approach. In this white paper, we discuss novel therapeutic protocols and the importance of antimicrobial-resistant reference strains in reducing the emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant infections.
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Bacteriophage Therapy—An Alternative Approach to Treating Multidrug-resistant Infections
As antibiotic resistance spreads, we must think outside of the box when it comes to the prevention and treatment of disease. Bacteriophage therapy, first used in the 1920s, could be one possible solution. Bacteriophages invade bacterial cells and, if the bacteriophage is lytic, will take over the host machinery to make more phage components, eventually resulting in cell lysis. Because bacteriophages are species-specific, and in some cases strain-specific, they can be used to target the infecting pathogen without harming human cells or surrounding microflora. This is in stark contrast to the use of antibiotics, which affects the entire microbiome of the patient.
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