Antimicrobial resistance is becoming an increasingly big problem. Currently, antimicrobial resistance causes 700,000 deaths per year, which is predicted to keep on rising. A recent study by Rudd et al. painted a far bleaker picture, claiming that sepsis causes 11 million deaths a year, making it the leading cause of death worldwide.
Thus, the discovery and development of new alternative antimicrobial therapies are vital.
The human skin microbiome naturally harbors hundreds of diverse bacterial species, which represent part of the body’s first line of defense against the outside world. The diversity and balance of bacterial communities are vital for skin health, with many skin conditions resulting from imbalances occurring within the commensal of microbiota.
Presently, there are numerous alternative biological tools that can be used in place of antibiotics for the treatment of skin infections, including bacteriocins, bacteriophage, probiotics and prebiotics.
