Table 1 Summary of some non-antibiotic inhibitors of bacterial growth and/or pathogenesis

Hemoperfusion devices [3, 4]

Extracorporeal filters that clear blood pathogens by their physiochemical properties

Quickly reduce blood concentrations of selected bacteria by orders of magnitude

Quorum sensing inhibitors [5, 6]

Disrupt intercellular signaling between bacteria to block coordinated tissue invasion

Blocks sensing of necessary concentrations of bacteria for optimal synthesis of virulence and invasion genes

Lytic bacteriophage [7, 8]

Bacteriolysis induced by selected lytic phage or phage cocktails

Parasitic predators of bacteria that can be used as highly specific, targeted, bactericidal agents

Polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies [9–11]; immune adjuvants [12]

Improved bacterial vaccines, transgenic cattle for polyclonal immunotherapy; designer monoclonal antibodies; immune-stimulant therapy for sepsis induced immunosuppression

Active or passive immunotherapy to opsonize bacteria or inhibit exotoxins and virulence factors; adjuvants to stimulate cellular immune function

Liposome-based cyto-toxin inhibitors [13]

Engineered liposomes to serve as cell membrane decoys to absorb bacterial cyto-toxins

Capture pore-forming cyto-toxins and protect host cell membranes from cellular injury

Non-immune toleralizing approaches [14, 15]

Treatments allowing the host to survive and compensate for pathogen presence or until immune clearance removes the pathogen

Permits the host to tolerate the pathogen until cleared by immune or non-immune mechanisms (e.g., oral or intravenous fluids for cholera)