Exploring alternative treatments for Helicobacter pylori infection

Figure 1 Alternative approaches to the current allopathic therapy against Helicobacter pylori. Different preventive, healing and adjuvant strategies proposed for anti-Helicobacter pylori therapy are shown.

Figure 2 Mechanism used in the alternative strategies described here for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori. Three levels are considered as targets for the different alternative treatments. The first involves the host, where vaccines and immune response modulators could act. The second is the stomach, where many mechanisms could have different types of action to restore homeostasis (i.e., gastroprotection, anti-inflammatory). Finally, Helicobacter pylori is the central target; in this case, alternative treatments are intended to eradicate or prevent the infection, acting upon growth or colonisation factors. In the case of growth inhibitors, many bacterial targets could be used as key enzymes and pathways.