Bacterial cell walls are unique structures that serve as ideal  targets for antimicrobial drugs. Agents that interfere with  bacterial cell wall biosynthesis or cell integrity have been used  therapeutically with high efficacy and good safety since the  1940s.Because there is no comparable structure in mammalians,  bacterial cell wall inhibitors can exhibit high target specificity  with side effect profiles that are not target related, unlike some  other classes of antibiotics. In addition, cell wall–active  agents are frequently bactericidal in their action, providing the  opportunity for complete bacterial clearance in serious  infections.  In this Annals volume, the contributors  explore the various roles of the bacterial cell wall as related to  the physiology of bacteria and to the development of antibacterial  drugs.
  
  
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