Cross-resistance

<p>Cross-resistance is when something develops resistance to several substances that have a similar mechanism of action. For example, if a certain type of <a href="/facts/Bacteria/wC8xSCsU">bacteria</a> develops <a href="/facts/Antimicrobial_resistance/jsbAywgx">antimicrobial resistance</a> to one <a href="/facts/Antibiotic/sF1kIfxg">antibiotic</a>, that bacteria will also have resistance to several other antibiotics that target the same <a href="/facts/Protein/Jxmagu3E">protein</a> or use the same route to get into the bacterium. A real example of cross-resistance occurred for <a href="/facts/Nalidixic_acid/EzHDjG9l">nalidixic acid</a> and <a href="/facts/Ciprofloxacin/RNAy8SHB">ciprofloxacin</a>, which are both <a href="/facts/Quinolone_antibiotic/1jRTHzYW">quinolone antibiotics</a>. When bacteria developed resistance to ciprofloxacin, they also developed resistance to nalidixic acid because both drugs inhibit <a href="/facts/Topoisomerase/CceQ9b1Y">topoisomerase</a>, a key enzyme in DNA replication. Due to cross-resistance, antimicrobial treatments like <a href="/facts/Phage_therapy/766PCE4c">phage therapy</a> can quickly lose their efficacy against bacteria. This makes cross-resistance an important consideration in designing <a href="/facts/Evolutionary_therapy/hdSLw0T7">evolutionary therapies</a>.
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Cross-resistance open-in-new

Cross-resistance