ESKAPE pathogens rapidly develop resistance against antibiotics in development in vitro

The study reveals that resistance to 13 antibiotics introduced after 2017 or currently in development can render them ineffective. Clinically relevant resistance occurs within 60 days of antibiotic exposure in priority Gram-negative ESKAPE pathogens. Resistance mutations are already present in natural populations, suggesting resistance can emerge through selection of pre-existing bacterial variants. Functional metagenomics revealed mobile resistance genes prevalent in clinical bacterial isolates, soil, and human gut microbiomes. Some combinations of antibiotics and bacterial strains are less prone to resistance, suggesting potential narrow-spectrum antibacterial therapies.