Host-acting antibacterial compounds combat cytosolic bacteria

The sharp increase in infections associated with multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens that have seriously compromised traditional chemotherapeutics is becoming a devastating public health threat worldwide. Thus, there is an urgent unmet demand to pursue alternative intervention strategies to circumvent this problem. Advances in host-acting antibacterial compounds (HACs) have provided promising, emerging approaches to reduce or eliminate internalized bacteria. In this review we focus mainly on the interactions between host cells and facultative intracellular bacteria to explore potential targets for the discovery and development of HACs. Additionally, we summarize the targets of recently described HACs and their modes of action and pharmacological activities against diverse pathogenic bacteria-associated infections. This overview of HACs sheds light on alternative strategies to treat clinical infections associated with cytosolic bacteria and the development of novel antibacterial agents.