1. Investigate the Treatment of Infectious Diseases
INFECTOUS DISEASES
Investigate the Treatment of Infectious Diseases

2. DRUGS USED FOR TREATMENT
Drugs used to treat bacterial diseases can be grouped into categories based on their modes of action
Penicillins/cephalosporins: interfere with certain layers of the cell wall
Chloramphenicol, tetracyclines, erythromycins: may be toxic when used in high doses or prolonged periods of time
Rifampin: used for treatment of TB

3. DRUGS FOR VIRAL INFECTIONS
Drugs that effectively inhibit viral infections are highly toxic to host cells because viruses use the host’s metabolic enzymes in reproduction
Antiviral drugs: target virus-specific enzymes
Acyclovir: used in the treatment of genital herpes
Amantadine: used to prevent or moderate influenza
AZT: inhibit replication of HIV genome

4. DEVELOPMENT OF DRUGS
Development of drugs used to treat fungal, protozoan, and helminthic diseases are also highly toxic to mammals
-azole derivatives inhibit sterol synthesis (ex. fluconazole)
Amphotericin B: disrupts cell membrane

5. ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE
Antimicrobial resistance presents ongoing problems in the fight against infectious diseases
Penicillin resistance noted as early as 1943
Mycobacterium tuberculosis: some strands resistant to all drugs
Resistance to antibiotics: result of changes in genetic information
Initially as mutations to existing genes
Many bacteria acquire these genes
Resistant genes are transferred to other members of same species