Questioning The Prescription For Drug Resistance

New findings published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B raise concerns regarding an aggressive treatment with high drug dosages and long durations that stem via the emergence and spread of resistant pathogens on research of nearly 70 studies of antimicrobial resistance.

Researchers found that while many studies examine the resistance emergence between differing drug regimens, only a few have really looked at the topic of how varying drug dosages may affect the emergence and spread of resistance.

"We are a long way from having the evidence for the best treatment decisions with respect to resistance for a range of diseases," said graduate student Ruthie Birger, a Princeton graduate student, in a news release. 

"It's remarkable how little we know about this topic," added C. Jessica Metcalf, an assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and public affairs at Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School. "The malaria study conducted by Silvie Huijben and colleagues at Pennsylvania State University is an inspiring step towards developing an evidence base for these important issues."

In the current analysis, the researchers said they found that the drug resistance was governed by two factors: both the abundance of the pathogen and the strength of the selection pressure that drives the pathogen to evolve.

In conclusion, finding the ideal dose of the duration of treatment-such as one that cures the patient without aiding the spread of resistance-can potentially be done on a disease by disease basis, as the study authors found during their research.