Diabetic Foot Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance
Summary
Diabetic foot infections arise from a combination of peripheral neuropathy, ischaemia and immunological impairments that accompany chronic hyperglycaemia. These infections range from superficial soft-tissue involvement to deep-seated osteomyelitis and can progress rapidly, often in the context of poorly controlled glycaemia and vascular insufficiency. The microbial landscape is characteristically polymicrobial, with Gram-positive cocci—particularly Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant strains—coexisting alongside Gram-negative bacilli and anaerobes. Rising rates of antimicrobial resistance among these pathogens have complicated empirical therapy, leading to increased hospitalisation, limb amputation and healthcare costs. Biofilm formation further shields bacteria from antibiotics and host defences, necessitating combination regimens and novel therapeutic avenues. Global surveillance has underscored regional variations in pathogen prevalence and resistance profiles, highlighting the need for tailored antibiotic stewardship and rapid diagnostic modalities. Advances in molecular and mass-spectrometric techniques now allow deeper insights into pathogen identity, resistance mechanisms and metabolic adaptations, informing more precise and effective management strategies.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Diabetic Foot Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in diabetic foot infections and antimicrobial resistance across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Wagner classification: A grading system for diabetic foot ulcer severity based on depth, infection and presence of gangrene.
MALDI-TOF MS: Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry for rapid microbial identification.
Lipidomics: Comprehensive analysis of cellular lipid profiles to characterise microbial membranes and metabolic states.
LAMP: Loop-mediated isothermal amplification, a rapid nucleic acid amplification technique for pathogen detection.
SCCmec: Staphylococcal chromosomal cassette mec, a mobile genetic element encoding methicillin resistance.
References
- Lipidomics Characterization of the Microbiome in People with Diabetic Foot Infection Using MALDI-TOF MS. Analytical Chemistry (2023).
- Distribution of microbes and antimicrobial susceptibility in patients with diabetic foot infections in South China. Frontiers in Endocrinology (2023).
- Prevalence of S. aureus and/or MRSA in hospitalized patients with diabetic foot and establishment of LAMP methods for rapid detection of the SCCmec gene. BMC Microbiology (2024).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.