Oxazolidinone-containing Hybrids with Antibacterial Activity against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA): A Mini-review

The increasing danger of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and the limited therapeutic options for invasive MRSA infections make an urgent demand for the development of novel anti-MRSA agents. Oxazolidinone derivatives could inhibit protein synthesis by acting on the ribosomal 50S subunit of the bacteria and prevent the formation of a functional 70S initiation complex, so oxazolidinones are a novel class of antimicrobial agents with potential activity against a wide range of clinically significant multidrug-resistant Gram-positive pathogens. However, oxazolidinones such as linezolid are associated with significant adverse events, and myelosuppression represents the main unfavorable side effects. Moreover, MRSA isolates that are resistant to oxazolidinones have already emerged. Hybridization of oxazolidinone with other antibacterial pharmacophores has the potential to interact with multiple targets or to counterbalance the known side effects associated with each pharmacophore. Thus, oxazolidinone-containing hybrids are useful scaffolds for the development of novel anti-MRSA agents. This review covers the recent advances of oxazolidinonecontaining hybrids with anti-MRSA activity developed in the last decade to set up the direction for the design and development of oxazolidinone-containing hybrids with high efficiency and low toxicity.