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<p><i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i> is a rapidly evolving opportunistic pathogen that has developed strategies to resist multiple antimicrobials and evade the host immune system. Its global emergence as a multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogen has severely limited treatment options and increased mortality in hospital settings. Virulence factors associated with the cell envelope and outer membrane vesicles play central roles in bacterial survival and pathogenicity. In this context, this review aims to provide a concise overview of the virulence apparatus present on the surface of <i>A. baumannii</i> and evaluate its role in bacterial survival, pathogenicity, and host-pathogen interactions, while also exploring its potential as a therapeutic target. A scoping review of the published literature was conducted to address the structure, function, and host-interaction dynamics of surface-associated virulence factors and secreted outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) along with their translational therapeutic potential. Virulence factors associated with the bacterial cell envelope and OMVs play integral roles in the survival and pathogenicity of <i>A. baumannii</i>. These surface components are involved in biofilm formation, adhesion to both biotic and abiotic surfaces, and modulation of host cell responses. Their surface accessibility and functional conservation make them attractive therapeutic targets and candidate vaccine antigens. The efficacy of subunit vaccines targeting components of the virulence apparatus has also been explored in several studies. Additionally, secreted OMVs perform diverse biological functions and have demonstrated immunogenic potential. However, strategies targeting single virulence determinants have often shown limited efficacy due to functional redundancy and adaptive plasticity, whereas multi-target approaches (utilising combinations of multiple surface-associated virulence factors of <i>A. baumannii</i>) may represent as one of the effective anti-virulence therapy approaches to prevent disease progression caused by MDR strains, ultimately contributing to improved therapeutic outcomes and reducing the burden of hospital-acquired infections.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>

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Therapeutic significance of surface-exposed virulence factors in Acinetobacter baumannii pathogenicity

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月2日

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  • Pooja Kumari,
  • Karpagavalli Palpandi,
  • Abhishek Kandikatla,
  • Vidhya Das,
  • Jaasmitha Popuri,
  • Sonika Kar,
  • Gamal Wareth,
  • Jayaseelan Murugaiyan

摘要

Acinetobacter baumannii is a rapidly evolving opportunistic pathogen that has developed strategies to resist multiple antimicrobials and evade the host immune system. Its global emergence as a multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogen has severely limited treatment options and increased mortality in hospital settings. Virulence factors associated with the cell envelope and outer membrane vesicles play central roles in bacterial survival and pathogenicity. In this context, this review aims to provide a concise overview of the virulence apparatus present on the surface of A. baumannii and evaluate its role in bacterial survival, pathogenicity, and host-pathogen interactions, while also exploring its potential as a therapeutic target. A scoping review of the published literature was conducted to address the structure, function, and host-interaction dynamics of surface-associated virulence factors and secreted outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) along with their translational therapeutic potential. Virulence factors associated with the bacterial cell envelope and OMVs play integral roles in the survival and pathogenicity of A. baumannii. These surface components are involved in biofilm formation, adhesion to both biotic and abiotic surfaces, and modulation of host cell responses. Their surface accessibility and functional conservation make them attractive therapeutic targets and candidate vaccine antigens. The efficacy of subunit vaccines targeting components of the virulence apparatus has also been explored in several studies. Additionally, secreted OMVs perform diverse biological functions and have demonstrated immunogenic potential. However, strategies targeting single virulence determinants have often shown limited efficacy due to functional redundancy and adaptive plasticity, whereas multi-target approaches (utilising combinations of multiple surface-associated virulence factors of A. baumannii) may represent as one of the effective anti-virulence therapy approaches to prevent disease progression caused by MDR strains, ultimately contributing to improved therapeutic outcomes and reducing the burden of hospital-acquired infections.

Graphical Abstract