antimicrobial chemotherapy

Antimicrobial chemotherapy is the use of chemical compounds to treat diseases caused by microorganisms. Originally, this term referred specifically to drugs used against infectious microbes, but it has expanded to include anticancer drugs and others.1

The development of chemotherapy began with the work of scientists like Paul Ehrlich, who sought to create disinfectants that could destroy parasites within a host without harming the host. Key milestones include the discovery of synthetic dyes with medicinal properties, the development of sulfonamide drugs in the 1930s, and the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928, which marked the beginning of the antibiotic era.1

Antimicrobial drugs can be synthetic chemicals, products of microorganisms, or derived from plants. They are used to prevent or treat diseases caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoa, or helminths. A significant challenge in antimicrobial chemotherapy is the emergence of drug-resistant microorganisms, which necessitates ongoing research for new agents.23