{{Short description|Class of beta-lactam antibiotic}} thumb|right|250px|Core structure of the cephalosporins. thumb|250px|Core structure of the cephamycins.
'''Cephems''' are a sub-group of β-lactam antibiotics including cephalosporins and cephamycins.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Bryskier |first1=André |title=Cephems. Fifty Years of Continuous Research |journal=The Journal of Antibiotics |date=2000 |volume=53 |issue=10 |pages=1028–1037 |doi=10.7164/antibiotics.53.1028 |pmid=11132947 |doi-access=free }}</ref> It is one of the more common 4-membered ring Heterocyclic compounds in the clinic.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Vitaku E, Smith DT, Njardarson JT | title = Analysis of the structural diversity, substitution patterns, and frequency of nitrogen heterocycles among U.S. FDA approved pharmaceuticals | journal = Journal of Medicinal Chemistry | volume = 57 | issue = 24 | pages = 10257–10274 | date = December 2014 | pmid = 25255204 | doi = 10.1021/jm501100b }}</ref> Produced by actinomycetes, cephamycins were found to display antibacterial activity against a wide range of bacteria, including those resistant to penicillin and cephalosporins.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Stapley EO, Jackson M, Hernandez S, Zimmerman SB, Currie SA, Mochales S, Mata JM, Woodruff HB, Hendlin D | display-authors = 6 | title = Cephamycins, a new family of beta-lactam antibiotics. I. Production by actinomycetes, including Streptomyces lactamdurans sp. n | journal = Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy | volume = 2 | issue = 3 | pages = 122–131 | date = September 1972 | pmid = 4790552 | pmc = 444278 | doi = 10.1128/AAC.2.3.122 }}</ref> The antimicrobial properties of cephem include the attachment to certain penicillin-binding proteins that are involved in the production of cell walls of bacteria.<ref>{{Cite journal | vauthors = Molteni E, Onida G, Ceccarelli M, Cappellini G |date=2021-04-03 |title=Ab Initio Spectroscopic Investigation of Pharmacologically Relevant Chiral Molecules: The Cases of Avibactam, Cephems, and Idelalisib as Benchmarks for Antibiotics and Anticancer Drugs |journal=Symmetry |language=en |volume=13 |issue=4 |pages=601 |doi=10.3390/sym13040601 |bibcode=2021Symm...13..601M |issn=2073-8994|doi-access=free |hdl=2434/831526 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>
==Further reading== *{{cite journal | vauthors = Hamilton-Miller JM | title = Chemical and microbiologic aspects of penems, a distinct class of beta-lactams: focus on faropenem | journal = Pharmacotherapy | volume = 23 | issue = 11 | pages = 1497–1507 | date = November 2003 | pmid = 14620395 | doi = 10.1592/phco.23.14.1497.31937 | s2cid = 43705118 }} *{{cite journal | vauthors = Ito K, Hayasaki M, Tamaya T | title = Pharmacokinetics of cephem antibiotics in exudate of pelvic retroperitoneal space after radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy | journal = Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy | volume = 34 | issue = 6 | pages = 1160–1164 | date = June 1990 | pmid = 2393276 | pmc = 171777 | doi = 10.1128/AAC.34.6.1160 }}
== References == {{reflist}}
==Further reading== *{{cite journal |doi=10.7164/antibiotics.53.1028|title=Cephems. Fifty Years of Continuous Research |year=2000 |last1=Bryskier |first1=André |journal=The Journal of Antibiotics |volume=53 |issue=10 |pages=1028–1037 |pmid=11132947 |doi-access=free }} {{Cell wall disruptive antibiotics}}
Category:Beta-lactam antibiotics