# Revisiting the Fight Against Acinetobacter baumannii: Emerging Non-Antibiotic Strategies

## TL;DR

This paper reviews new non-antibiotic methods to combat Acinetobacter baumannii, a drug-resistant bacteria, including nanotechnology and drug repurposing.

## Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive overview of non-antibiotic strategies for controlling Acinetobacter baumannii infections.

## Key findings

- Nanotechnology-based approaches like antibiotic-coated nanoparticles show promise in controlling A. baumannii.
- Drug repurposing, particularly with SSRIs, is explored as a potential therapeutic strategy.
- Bacteriophage therapy is highlighted as an effective in vivo treatment option.

## Abstract

This review discusses emerging in vitro and in vivo strategies for the control of Acinetobacter baumannii, a critical multidrug-resistant pathogen; the increasing isolation of strains resistant to multiple drugs, including newly developed and last-resort antibiotics, has highlighted the urgent need to pursue adjunctive therapeutic technologies. The article aims to provide an overview of alternative control approaches beyond conventional antibiotics. Emphasis is placed on strategies based on the disruption of essential metabolic pathways, nanotechnology-based approaches such as antibiotic-coated nanoparticles, in vivo bacteriophage therapy, and drug repurposing, specifically compounds such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), as a means of exploiting already approved pharmaceuticals. By synthesizing recent findings, this review highlights current advances in the development of innovative therapeutic strategies against A. baumannii infections.