Repurposing prokaryotic clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-Cas adaptive immune system to combat antimicrobial resistance

Despite achieving unparalleled progress in the field of science and technology, the global health community is still threatened by the looming pressure of infectious diseases. One of the greatest challenges is the rise in infections by antibiotic-resistant microorganisms. The misuse of antibiotics has led to the present circumstances, and there is seemingly no solution. There is imminent pressure to develop new antibacterial therapies to curb the rise and spread of multidrug resistance. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas, having immense potential as a gene-editing tool, has gained considerable attention as an alternative antibacterial therapy. Strategies, aiming to either eliminate pathogenic strains or to restore sensitivity to antibiotics, are the main focus of research. This review deals with the development of CRISPR-Cas antimicrobials and their delivery challenges. Plain language summaryBacteria resistant to drugs have become a major global health problem. Infections caused by resistant bacteria have many social and economic consequences, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The WHO has estimated that 10 million people will die every year due to drug resistance by 2050. Due to the lengthy amount of time and high costs of developing new drugs, we must explore alternatives. One such alternative includes clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas, a tool with the ability to edit the genetic material of bacteria. CRISPR-Cas can restore sensitivity to drugs as well as kill bacteria.