Drug resistance reversal: an overview of real world success stories

Abstract

This perspective provides an overview of what we know from real-world data on reversal of drug resistance evolution. An important question for those who study drug resistance is whether it is possible to reverse the evolution of resistance, for example by halting the use of specific drugs for a patient or even a community or country. Evidence for successful reversal of resistance levels is spread out in many different subfields of infectious disease. I use examples from P. falciparum malaria, several bacterial species including E. coli, M. tuberculosis, and S. aureus, and the viral pathogen HIV, to show that it is possible to reverse the evolution of resistance.