Question

Antibacterial drugs which target a "unique" target are more likely to be associated with unwanted effects than those which exploit differences between host and pathogen.

A) True
B) False

Answer 1

Antibacterial drugs that exploit differences between host and pathogen are designed to minimize unwanted effects, making the statement false.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that antibacterial drugs which target a "unique" target are more likely to be associated with unwanted effects than those which exploit differences between host and pathogen is False. Antimicrobial drugs aim to achieve selective toxicity by targeting bacterial structures and functions that are different from those of the host's cells. For instance, antibacterial drugs exploit the differences in cell wall synthesis, protein synthesis, and metabolic pathways between bacteria and humans. Since human cells do not have cell walls and have different ribosomes compared to bacteria, drugs that target these processes in bacteria are less likely to affect human cells, reducing the likelihood of unwanted effects. Drugs that target pathways or structures unique to the human host, however, would indeed pose a higher risk of side effects.