The steadily increasing of the resistance of human pathogens to multiple antimicrobials over the last decade is alarming and a serious threat to public health.[1] While the emergence of multidrug resistance has been associated with misuse and abuse of antimicrobials, the number of available effective agents is decreasing as novel compounds arriving into the market are scarce.[2,3]
Tetraazamacrocycles are versatile and readily tunable molecules with potential for the development of derivatives having enhanced antimicrobial activity. Our recent work led to the identification of cyclam derivatives as a potential novel class of compounds that represents a breakthrough in the field of new antibacterial drugs.[4]
[1] WHO. Antimicrobial Resistance: Global Report on Surveillance 2014; Geneva, 2014
[2] Bax, R.; Mullan N.; Verhoef, J., Int. J. Antimicrob. Agents 2000, 16, 51-59
[3] Norrby, S. R.; Nord, C. E.; Finch, R., Lancet Infect. Dis. 2005, 5, 115-119
[4] Alves, L. G.; Pinheiro, P. F.; Feliciano, J. R.; Leitão, J. H.; Martins, A. M., Int. J. Antimicrob. Agents 2017, 49, 646-649