Is There Potential for Repurposing Statins as Novel Antimicrobials?

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2016 Aug 22;60(9):5111-21. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00192-16. Print 2016 Sep.

Abstract

Statins are members of a class of pharmaceutical widely used to reduce high levels of serum cholesterol. In addition, statins have so-called "pleiotropic effects," which include inflammation reduction, immunomodulation, and antimicrobial effects. An increasing number of studies are emerging which detail the attenuation of bacterial growth and in vitro and in vivo virulence by statin treatment. In this review, we describe the current information available concerning the effects of statins on bacterial infections and provide insight regarding the potential use of these compounds as antimicrobial therapeutic agents.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Infective Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Bacteremia / drug therapy*
  • Bacteremia / microbiology
  • Bacteremia / pathology
  • Bacterial Toxins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Biofilms / drug effects
  • Biofilms / growth & development
  • Drug Repositioning*
  • Gram-Negative Bacteria / drug effects
  • Gram-Negative Bacteria / growth & development
  • Gram-Positive Bacteria / drug effects
  • Gram-Positive Bacteria / growth & development
  • Humans
  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Pneumonia, Bacterial / drug therapy*
  • Pneumonia, Bacterial / microbiology
  • Pneumonia, Bacterial / pathology
  • Sepsis / drug therapy
  • Sepsis / microbiology
  • Sepsis / pathology
  • Survival Analysis
  • Virulence Factors / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Virulence Factors / genetics
  • Virulence Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Bacterial Toxins
  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
  • Virulence Factors