# Multidrug resistance, diagnostic challenges, and treatment gaps in Pandoraea infections: A review

## TL;DR

This review highlights the growing threat of Pandoraea infections, their resistance to multiple drugs, and the need for better diagnostic and treatment strategies.

## Contribution

The paper consolidates current knowledge and identifies critical research gaps in managing Pandoraea infections.

## Key findings

- Pandoraea species are emerging multidrug-resistant pathogens with limited clinical data on treatment efficacy.
- Current therapeutic strategies, including bacteriophages and antimicrobial peptides, lack comprehensive research and real-world validation.
- The review emphasizes the urgent need for innovative interventions and further clinical studies to address treatment gaps.

## Abstract

Pandoraea species are emerging multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens increasingly associated with respiratory tract infections, particularly in cystic fibrosis patients. Despite their growing clinical relevance, these bacteria are underrepresented in the scientific literature. This review aims to consolidate existing evidence regarding Pandoraea species as emerging MDR pathogens, with a focus on their taxonomy, diagnostic methodologies, antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, and treatment challenges. By identifying gaps in current therapeutic strategies and the limited clinical outcome data, this review underscores the necessity of advancing research into innovative interventions, such as bacteriophages, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), and combination therapies, to enhance patient management and infection control. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar, employing relevant keywords to identify case reports, clinical studies, and in vitro research related to Pandoraea infections, resistance mechanisms, and therapeutic strategies. Our findings reveal a significant lack of comprehensive data on therapeutic approaches, particularly concerning bacteriophages, AMPs, and combination antibiotic therapies. Furthermore, clinical data on treatment efficacy remain sparse, with the majority of evidence stemming from in vitro studies rather than real-world clinical settings. This review emphasizes the urgent need for further research to address these knowledge deficits and to develop effective therapeutic interventions against Pandoraea infections.