The aminoglycoside modifying enzyme Eis2 represents a new potential<i>in vivo</i>target for reducing antimicrobial drug resistance in<i>Mycobacterium abscessus</i>complex

Mycobacterium abscessus complex (MABSC) is an emerging opportunistic pathogen complex responsible for lung infections after lung colonisation in people with pulmonary disorders, like bronchiectasis or cystic fibrosis [1, 2]. It is becoming one of the most clinically relevant nontuberculous mycobacteria for severity of infections and poor response to antibiotic treatment. The MABSC includes three subspecies abscessus , bolletii and massiliense [3–5]. MABSC pulmonary disease is characterized by the presence of specific microbiological, clinical, and radiological features described in the ATS/ESCMID/ERS/IDSA consensus statement [1]. Infections are difficult to treat due to the high-level of antibiotic resistance conferred by an almost impermeable cell wall, drug efflux pumps, or drug-modifying enzymes [2, 6]. Footnotes This manuscript has recently been accepted for publication in the European Respiratory Journal . It is published here in its accepted form prior to copyediting and typesetting by our production team. After these production processes are complete and the authors have approved the resulting proofs, the article will move to the latest issue of the ERJ online. Please open or download the PDF to view this article. Conflict of Interest: Nicola Lorè reports grants from US Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Italian Cystic Fibrosis; outside the submitted work. Conflict of Interest: Peter Sander reports support from Swiss National Science Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis Switzerland, Federal Office of Public Health for the present manuscript. He also reports grants from InnoSuisse, Stiftung wissenschaftliche Forschung; outside the submitted work. Conflict of Interest: All other authors have nothing to disclose.