Frontiers in Anti-Infective Agents Series

The volume is a comprehensive documentation on major infectious diseases from tropical countries which pose a serious threat to global healthcare programs. These include diseases such as tuberculosis, AIDS, leishmaniasis (kala-azar), elephantiasis, malaria, leprosy, various fungal disorders and emergent viral diseases. Due to the widespread use of antibiotics, there is an emergence of drug resistant pathogens in many regions. Hence, there is a need to search for novel, cost-effective bioactive compounds that demonstrate high efficacy and low toxicity in human cells from unexplored ecosystems to combat emerging drug resistant pathogens. Chapters of this volume focus on the pathogenesis and etiology of each of the mentioned diseases, updated WHO reports wherever applicable, conventional drugs and their pharmacokinetics as well as new approaches to develop anti-infective agents. The authors also present a detailed report on ‘superbugs’ (multi-drug resistant pathogens) and new measures being taken up to eradicate them. Information about new antimicrobials (bioactive peptides and silk protein sericin) and the approaches taken by scientists and healthcare professionals for successful targeting of these molecules for human medicine. This volume is essential for general readers, healthcare professionals, researchers and academicians actively involved in research on infectious diseases and anti-infective therapeutic drugs.

Anti-infective agents are a distinct class of pharmacologically important molecules that have served mankind in different capacities to combat life-threatening pathological conditions. They include antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antituberculosis, antimalarial and urinary anti-infective agents. However, evolutionary changes, adaptations and development of new strains of pathogenic microorganisms that have reduced the therapeutic efficacy of existing drugs, thus, limiting their clinical utility over the years. Frontiers in Anti-Infective Agents Volume 5 is a collection of notable research efforts, successful anti-infective drug development programmes and a comprehensive overview of successful and unsuccessful clinical trials in this domain. The volume covers interesting topics: 1) the treatment of acute wounds with the vikut® formula, 2) anti-infective treatment of ocular diseases and 3) sars-cov vaccine development and antimicrobial therapy for SARS symptoms. A chapter summarizing recent anti-infective approaches rounds up the contents of this volume. This book is a timely reference for postgraduate scholars and researchers seeking updates in specific areas of anti-infective drug development. Allied healthcare professionals (clinical and public healthcare professionals) can also benefit from the information presented within.

This volume of Frontiers in Anti-Infective Agents provides updates on the most recent studies about anti-infective agents, their mechanism of action, the relevant molecular targets and their implication in the development of novel antibiotics that have properties similar to their corresponding compounds of natural origin. The initial chapter covers the mode of action of natural antimycobacterial compounds such as nordihydroguaiaretic acid, α-mangostin and allicin, as well as antimicrobial peptides and their role in the innate and adaptive immune response leading to the decrease of microbial resistance. This is followed by updates on tuberculosis treatment concerning the immunological role of cells (airway epithelial cells, macrophages, neutrophils and T cells) along with their products (chemokines, cytokines) and other processes such as autophagy that influence the outcome of the host immune response to the infection. Contributors have also reviewed the latest knowledge in the cellular and molecular mechanisms that trigger a protective, immune response and the identification of the molecular targets for vaccine development, all of which are a key priority to develop control measures against Babesia species like Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina. Additionally, the neuro-endocrine and neuro-immune mechanisms behind host responses against stress and environmental stimuli during infections are also covered in separate chapters. The volume also provides updates related to Helicobacter pylori pathogenesis. The reviews presented in Anti-infective Research and Development provide timely updates for scholars and professionals associated with the field of antimicrobial research and development.

Anti-infective agents are a distinct class of pharmacologically important molecules that have served mankind in different capacities to combat life-threatening pathological conditions. They include antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antituberculosis, antimalarial and urinary anti-infective agents. However, evolutionary changes, adaptations and development of new strains of pathogenic microorganisms that have reduced the therapeutic efficacy of existing drugs, thus, limiting their clinical utility over the years. Frontiers in Anti-Infective Agents Volume 6 is a collection of notable research efforts, successful anti-infective drug development programmes and a comprehensive overview of successful and unsuccessful clinical trials conducted in this domain. This volume continues from the last one with interesting reviews on: 1) “Reverse Vaccinology” for vaccination design using computational data to identify vaccine targets, 2) leptospirosis, 3) phage therapy for bacterial infections, 4) quorum sensing inhibitors from natural products, and 5) nitrogen and oxygen based heterocyclic compounds that can act as anti-infective agents. The volume, therefore, covers a range of frontier topics on anti-infective research and development.This compilation is a timely reference for postgraduate scholars and researchers seeking updates in specific areas of anti-infective drug development. Allied healthcare professionals (clinical and public healthcare professionals) can also benefit from the information presented within.