I. Development trend
of anti-infection in the future
(1) Research and development
of new anti-infective drugs
With the increasingly serious problem of microbial resistance, the research and development of new anti-infective drugs has become a key trend. On the one hand, the improvement of traditional antibacterial drugs is still continuing, such as structural modification of existing antibiotics to enhance their antibacterial activity, expand their antibacterial spectrum or reduce the probability of drug resistance. On the other hand, drug research and development with new mechanisms of action has attracted much attention, such as drugs targeting bacterial biofilm, quorum sensing system and other targets, which are of great significance for the survival, pathogenicity and drug resistance development of bacteria. In addition, the research and development of antiviral drug is also accelerating, in addition to new drugs for common viruses (such as influenza virus, HIV, etc.), new viruses (such as potential emerging viruses after novel coronavirus) are also actively exploring targeted treatment programs.
(II) Application
of personalized medicine in the field of anti-infection
In the future, anti-infective treatment will be more personalized. Through genetic testing technology, we can understand the genetic characteristics of patients and predict their response to specific anti-infective drugs. For example, some patients may have abnormal metabolism of specific drugs due to genetic defects, which can affect the efficacy and safety of drugs. Selecting the most appropriate anti-infective drugs and dosage for patients according to their genetic information will improve the accuracy of treatment and reduce the occurrence of ineffective treatment and adverse reactions.
(3) Multidisciplinary treatment strategies
Anti-infection is no longer limited to the use of drugs alone, but will integrate multi-disciplinary methods. The development of immunology will bring new ideas for anti-infective therapy, such as immunomodulatory therapy can enhance the body’s own immunity to fight infection. At the same time, the application of nanotechnology in drug delivery can make anti-infective drugs reach the infected site more accurately, improve the local concentration of drugs, enhance the efficacy and reduce the side effects on normal tissues. In addition, the research results of microbiomics will also be applied to anti-infective therapy to prevent and treat infections by regulating the balance of human microbial communities.
II. Challenges
to future anti-infection
(1) Aggravation
of microbial resistance
Microbial resistance is one of the greatest challenges in the current and future fight against infection. With the widespread use of antibiotics, bacteria, fungi, viruses and other pathogens continue to evolve resistance mechanisms. The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria (such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, etc.) Has made the traditional anti-infective treatment ineffective. New drug resistance genes can also spread between different pathogens, further expanding the severity of the drug resistance problem, resulting in increased difficulty in the treatment of infectious diseases, increased mortality and significantly increased medical costs.
(2) The continuous emergence
of new pathogens
With the acceleration of
globalization, the change of ecological environment and the change of human behavior pattern, new infectious diseases are emerging. In recent years, public health emergency such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) have brought tremendous impact to the world. These new pathogens are often highly infectious and pathogenic, but we do not know enough about them in the early stage, and lack effective diagnostic methods and treatment methods.
(3) Unbalanced medical resources and weak
public health system
Globally
, medical resources are unevenly distributed, and many developing countries lack adequate medical facilities, professionals and drugs to deal with infectious diseases. In addition, there are loopholes in the public health system of some countries, and the capacity of epidemic surveillance, early warning and emergency response is insufficient, which makes it difficult to control the spread of infectious diseases quickly and effectively.
III. Strategies
to deal with new infectious diseases
(1) Strengthen drug resistance monitoring and rational drug
use
Establish a global microbial drug resistance monitoring network to grasp the epidemic trend and changes of drug-resistant pathogens in real time. At the same time, we should strengthen the supervision of the use of antibiotics and other anti-infective drugs, promote the principle of rational drug use, reduce unnecessary drug use, avoid abuse and misuse, and control the development of drug resistance from the source.
(II) R & D and application
of rapid diagnostic technology
The
development of rapid, accurate and convenient diagnostic techniques is essential to deal with new infectious diseases. For example, rapid detection methods based on molecular biology (such as nucleic acid detection, gene sequencing, etc.) Can determine the types and characteristics of pathogens in a short time, providing a basis for early diagnosis and targeted treatment. In addition, the development of bedside diagnostic equipment can make rapid diagnosis in primary medical units or on the spot, and improve the efficiency of diagnosis.
(Three) strengthen the construction
of public health system.
Countries should increase investment in the public health system, improve the epidemic surveillance system, improve early warning capabilities, and strengthen the reserve of emergency supplies and the allocation of medical resources. At the same time, international cooperation should be strengthened to jointly respond to emerging infectious diseases on a global scale and share information, technology and resources.
(4) Vaccine research and development and vaccination
Vaccines are one of the most effective ways to prevent infectious diseases. For emerging pathogens, we should accelerate the speed of vaccine research and development, and use modern biotechnology (such as mRNA vaccine technology) to rapidly develop safe and effective vaccines. At the same time, we should improve the public’s awareness and acceptance of vaccination, establish a broad immune barrier, and reduce the spread and prevalence of diseases.
In the future, the field of anti-infection will face many development trends and challenges, which require the joint efforts of the global scientific community, the medical community and the government to adopt comprehensive strategies to better cope with the emerging new infectious diseases and protect human health.
