Anti-infective agents
Bacteremia
Bacterial toxins
Biofilms
Drug repositioning
Gram-negative bacteria
Gram-positive
Bacteria
Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors
Microbial sensitivity
Tests
Pneumonia, bacterial
Sepsis
Survival analysis
Virulence factors
Statins are members of a class of pharmaceutical widely used to reduce high levels of serum cholesterol. In addition, statins have so-called "pleiotropic effects," which include inflammation reduction, immunomodulation, and antimicrobial effects. An increasing number of studies are emerging which detail the attenuation of bacterial growth and in vitro and in vivo virulence by statin treatment. In this review, we describe the current information available concerning the effects of statins on bacterial infections and provide insight regarding the potential use of these compounds as antimicrobial therapeutic agents.