Article
Immunology
Yusuke Ota, Reina Okada, Hideyuki Takahashi, Ryoichi Saito
Summary: This study established a mismatched PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assay for detecting mutations in gyrA associated with ciprofloxacin-resistant Neisseria meningitidis. The assay showed correlation with gyrA sequencing and has the potential to contribute to appropriate antibiotic selection for meningococcal chemoprophylaxis and prevent the spread of ciprofloxacin-resistant N. meningitidis.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Hamed Tavakoli, Elisabeth Hirth, Man Luo, Sanjay Sharma Timilsina, Maowei Dou, Delfina C. Dominguez, XiuJun Li
Summary: In this research, a microfluidic fully paper-based analytical device (mu FPAD) integrated with loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and ssDNA-functionalized graphene oxide (GO) nano-biosensors was developed for the first time for simple, rapid, low-cost, and quantitative detection of Neisseria meningitidis (N. meningitidis). The presented mu FPAD offers versatile functions and is capable of a simple, highly sensitive, and specific diagnosis of N. meningitidis. Furthermore, this microfluidic approach has great potential in the rapid detection of a wide variety of different other pathogens in low-resource settings.
Article
Immunology
Abigail Norris Turner, Alexandria Carter, Yih-Ling Tzeng, David S. Stephens, Morgan Brown, Brandon Snyder, Adam C. Retchless, Xin Wang, Jose A. Bazan
Summary: The study showed that urethral infection with the US_NmUC did not offer protection against gonorrhea despite high sequence similarity in shared protein antigens.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Bingqian Zhou, Guangpu Yang, Zhe Hu, Kewei Chen, Wei Guo, Xiaojun Wang, Cheng Du
Summary: A new qPCR method was developed to detect T. haneyi infection in horses, showing high specificity and sensitivity. Its accuracy was further validated by comparison with the traditional nested PCR method.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Dmitry Ershov, Minh-Son Phan, Joanna W. Pylvanainen, Stephane U. Rigaud, Laure Le Blanc, Arthur Charles-Orszag, James R. W. Conway, Romain F. Laine, Nathan H. Roy, Daria Bonazzi, Guillaume Dumenil, Guillaume Jacquemet, Jean-Yves Tinevez
Summary: TrackMate is an automated tracking software that is used for analyzing bioimages. The new version, TrackMate 7, addresses modern research challenges by integrating advanced segmentation algorithms into tracking pipelines. This new version demonstrates its effectiveness across a wide range of bio-imaging experiments, combining machine and deep learning-based image segmentation with accurate object tracking for improved 2D and 3D tracking in biological research.
Article
Microbiology
Freda E-C Jen, Jennifer L. Edwards, Ibrahim M. El-Deeb, Mark J. Walker, Mark von Itzstein, Michael P. Jennings
Summary: The ionophore PBT2, when used alone, has shown potential in killing both N.meningitidis and MDR N. gonorrhoeae, making it a candidate therapy for MDR N. gonorrhoeae infections.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Zhaoyu Ren, Rongzhen Chen, Ghulam Muhae-Ud-Din, Mingke Fang, Tianya Li, Yazheng Yang, Wanquan Chen, Li Gao
Summary: This study reports the use of droplet digital PCR and quantitative real time PCR for the detection of Tilletia caries (also known as T. tritici), the pathogen causing common bunt of wheat. The research establishes a highly sensitive detection method using specific markers and improves the detection sensitivity of T. caries.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Subeen Hong, Seung Mi Lee, Sohee Oh, SoYeon Kim, Young Mi Jung, Sun Min Kim, Chan-Wook Park, Jong Kwan Jun, Byoung Jae Kim, Joong Shin Park
Summary: This study evaluated the performance of a PNA probe-based real-time PCR assay for detecting common aneuploidies. The results showed that the assay had a sensitivity and specificity of 100%. Compared to conventional karyotyping, the PNA probe-based real-time PCR assay was rapid and easy to use.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
D. Cristiano, M. F. Peruzy, M. Aponte, A. Mancusi, Y. T. R. Proroga, F. Capuano, N. Murru
Summary: The study investigated the detection methods for Yersinia enterocolitica in leafy greens, finding that only ddPCR technology could detect the pathogen in leafy greens contaminated at low levels. Additionally, the incubation time and temperature were shown to significantly impact the survival and concentration of Yersinia enterocolitica in vegetables.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Priyanka Lal, Rahul Kumar Tiwari, Awadhesh Kumar, Muhammad Ahsan Altaf, Abdulaziz Abdullah Alsahli, Milan Kumar Lal, Ravinder Kumar
Summary: This study analyzes the global research conducted between 2001 and 2021 on the utilization of RT-PCR techniques for diagnostic assays and gene expression level studies. The analysis reveals an increasing number of scholarly publications in this field, highlighting the importance of ongoing investigation and development. Plos One, BMC Genomics, and Phytopathology are identified as leading journals in this area.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Lene Fogt Lundbo, Zitta Barrella Harboe, Hakon Sandholdt, Lars Smith-Hansen, Palle Valentiner-Branth, Steen Hoffmann, Thomas Benfield
Summary: A Danish case-control study found that certain comorbidities increased the risk of invasive meningococcal disease ranging from 2- to 40-fold. These comorbidities included renal disease, immunological disorders, liver disease, cancer, and solid organ transplantation. Vaccination and appropriate medical care may be necessary for these populations with increased risk.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Saiful Arefeen Sazed, Mohammad Golam Kibria, Mohammad Shafiul Alam
Summary: The real-time PCR method established in this study efficiently detects and distinguishes five human Plasmodium species with a single protocol, improving sensitivity and specificity. This method can be considered as an alternative to existing molecular diagnosis lineup for malaria in endemic countries.
Article
Microbiology
Rui Xu, Dingchen Li, Jingya Zhao, Hanying Zhong, Hong Chen, Yajing Jia, Fangyan Chen, Li Han
Summary: Novel detection techniques utilizing RPA and qPCR targeting the mitochondrial rnl gene were developed for the timely and accurate identification of Mucorales infection. The developed assays showed favorable sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of mucormycosis.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Flora Marzia Liotti, Simona Marchetti, Federico Falletta, Sara D'Onghia, Maurizio Sanguinetti, Rosaria Santangelo, Brunella Posteraro
Summary: We report on the excellent performance of the QIAstat-Dx assay for the detection of human monkeypox virus (MPXV) in clinical samples.
Article
Virology
Mattia Calzolari, Simone Russo, Katia Marzani, Gastone Dalmonte, Matteo Ricchi, Paolo Bonilauri
Summary: A specific real-time PCR method for Fermo virus has been developed and reported in this study. This method is of great importance for studying the epidemiology of Fermo virus and its potential pathogenicity in humans or animals.
Article
Immunology
Joseph M. Lewis, Madlitso Mphasa, Lucy Keyala, Rachel Banda, Emma L. Smith, Jackie Duggan, Tim Brooks, Matthew Catton, Jane Mallewa, Grace Katha, Stephen B. Gordon, Brian Faragher, Melita A. Gordon, Jamie Rylance, Nicholas A. Feasey
Summary: This study describes the causes and long-term outcomes of sepsis in Malawi, finding that disseminated tuberculosis is the dominant cause and receiving antituberculous chemotherapy is associated with improved survival. Late deaths in individuals living with HIV contribute significantly to post-discharge mortality. These findings suggest the need for locally adapted sepsis protocols in sub-Saharan Africa and highlight the importance of considering distinct pathogens and novel treatment strategies.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Elena Mitsi, Daniella McLenaghan, Asia-Sophia Wolf, Scott Jones, Andrea M. Collins, Angela D. Hyder-Wright, David Goldblatt, Robert S. Heyderman, Stephen B. Gordon, Daniela M. Ferreira
Summary: This study found that immunization with 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine elicits serotype-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses, with serum IgG levels to correlate with those measured in bronchoalveolar lavage samples, but shows poor immunogenicity against serotype 3 in both sites.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jennifer Cable, Rino Rappuoli, Elizabeth J. Klemm, Gagandeep Kang, Ankur Mutreja, Gavin J. Wright, Mariagrazia Pizza, Sowmya Ajay Castro, Joseph P. Hoffmann, Galit Alter, Andrea Carfi, Andrew J. Pollard, Florian Krammer, Ravindra K. Gupta, Caroline E. Wagner, Viviane Machado, Kayvon Modjarrad, Lawrence Corey, Peter B. Gilbert, Gordon Dougan, Nicole Lurie, Pamela J. Bjorkman, Christopher Chiu, Elisa Nemes, Stephen B. Gordon, Andrew C. Steer, Thomas Rudel, Catherine A. Blish, John Tyler Sandberg, Kiva Brennan, Keith P. Klugman, Lynda M. Stuart, Shabir A. Madhi, Christopher L. Karp
Summary: The rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines is the result of years of research and collaboration, but access and efficacy issues still exist in low-and-middle-income countries. Addressing these issues requires innovative research, deeper understanding of vaccine protection, and innovative trial designs and models.
ANNALS OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Alexander J. Stockdale, James E. Meiring, Isaac T. Shawa, Deus Thindwa, Niza M. Silungwe, Maurice Mbewe, Rabson Kachala, Benno Kreuels, Pratiksha Patel, Priyanka Patel, Marc Y. R. Henrion, Naor Bar-Zeev, Todd D. Swarthout, Robert S. Heyderman, Stephen B. Gordon, Anna Maria Geretti, Melita A. Gordon
Summary: A study conducted in Blantyre, Malawi found that infant HBV vaccination has been highly effective in reducing HBsAg prevalence in adults, but some HBsAg-positive adults have an unmet need for antiviral therapy.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Ethics
Michelle C. Bach
Summary: Beauchamp and Childress's biomedical principlism is synonymous with medical ethics for most clinicians, but its global authority should be questioned. The viability of the common morality is challenged, highlighting its cultural particularity.
MEDICINE HEALTH CARE AND PHILOSOPHY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Marah G. Chibwana, Thandeka Moyo-Gwete, Gaurav Kwatra, Jonathan Mandolo, Tandile Hermanaus, Thopisang Motlou, Nonkululeko Mzindle, Frances Ayres, Mphatso Chaponda, Godwin Tembo, Percy Mwenechanya, Ndaona Mitole, Chisomo Jassi, Raphael Kamng'ona, Louise Afran, David Mzinza, Henry C. Mwandumba, Stephen B. Gordon, Khuzwayo Jere, Shabir Madhi, Penny L. Moore, Robert S. Heyderman, Kondwani C. Jambo
Summary: This study aimed to assess the dynamics of anti-Spike antibodies in an African adult population with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection and determine the effect of subsequent COVID-19 vaccination. The findings showed that neutralizing antibodies wane within 6 months post-infection, but a single dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine significantly increased antibody levels. Furthermore, the antibodies generated after vaccination demonstrated broad cross-reactivity against multiple variants and had neutralizing potency.
Article
Immunology
Andrew D. McCallum, Henry E. Pertinez, Aaron P. Chirambo, Irene Sheha, Madalitso Chasweka, Rose Malamba, Doris Shani, Alex Chitani, Jane E. Mallewa, Jamilah Z. Meghji, Jehan F. Ghany, Elizabeth L. Corbett, Stephen B. Gordon, Geraint R. Davies, Saye H. Khoo, Derek J. Sloan, Henry C. Mwandumba
Summary: This study explores the relationship between intrapulmonary drug levels and sputum bacillary clearance in tuberculosis treatment. The results show that higher drug exposure to rifampicin or isoniazid in the epithelial lining fluid is associated with more rapid bacillary elimination. Higher doses of rifampicin and isoniazid may result in sustained high intrapulmonary drug exposure, rapid bacillary clearance, shorter treatment duration, and better treatment outcomes.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Rebecca Best, Jullita Mvala, Albert Dube, Cynthia Katundu, Fredrick Kalobekamo, Kevin Mortimer, Stephen B. Gordon, Moffat Nyirenda, Amelia Crampin, Estelle McLean
Summary: This study provides evidence that an improved cookstove intervention in rural Malawi may reduce the number of babies born with low birthweight. This finding is supported by additional subset analysis. The intervention appears to decrease the number of infants born prematurely or with intra-uterine growth restriction, indicating that improved cookstoves could be a beneficial maternal health intervention.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Ryan E. Robinson, Elena Mitsi, Elissavet Nikolaou, Sherin Pojar, Tao Chen, Jesus Reine, Tinashe K. Nyazika, James Court, Kelly Davies, Madlen Farrar, Partricia Gonzalez-Dias, Josh Hamilton, Helen Hill, Lisa Hitchins, Ashleigh Howard, Angela Hyder-Wright, Maia Lesosky, Konstantinos Liatsikos, Agnes Matope, Daniella McLenaghan, Christopher Myerscough, Annabel Murphy, Carla Solorzano, Duolao Wang, Hassan Burhan, Manish Gautam, Elizabeth Begier, Christian Theilacker, Rohini Beavon, Annaliesa S. Anderson, Bradford D. Gessner, Stephen B. Gordon, Andrea M. Collins, Daniela M. Ferreira
Summary: This study evaluated the colonization ability and safety of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 3 (SPN3) in the nasopharynx using a human challenge model. The results showed that colonization rates varied with inoculum doses and isolate types, and colonization may cause mild upper respiratory symptoms.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Marianne Koenraads, Todd D. Swarthout, Naor Bar-Zeev, Comfort Brown, Jacquline Msefula, Brigitte Denis, Queen Dube, Stephen B. Gordon, Robert S. Heyderman, Melissa J. Gladstone, Neil French
Summary: This study examined the burden of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in infants <90 days old in Blantyre, Malawi over a 14-year period and evaluated the impact of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) on vaccine-serotype IPD in this population. The results showed that vaccine serotypes 1 and 5 were the main cause of IPD in neonates and young infants, both before and after PCV13 introduction.
PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Konstantinos Liatsikos, Angela Hyder-Wright, Sherin Pojar, Tao Chen, Duolao Wang, Kelly Davies, Christopher Myerscough, Jesus Reine, Ryan E. Robinson, Britta Urban, Elena Mitsi, Carla Solorzano, Stephen B. Gordon, Angela Quinn, Kaijie Pan, Annaliesa S. Anderson, Christian Theilacker, Elizabeth Begier, Bradford D. Gessner, Andrea Collins, Daniela M. Ferreira
Summary: This article summarizes a study protocol for investigating the effect of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) and the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) on pneumococcal nasopharyngeal colonization. The study will use experimental human pneumococcal challenge to assess acquisition, density, and duration of colonization, as well as immune responses and antigenuria. The primary outcome is to compare the acquisition rate of pneumococcal serotype 3 (SPN3) between vaccinated and unvaccinated groups.
Article
Immunology
Asia -Sophia Wolf, Elena Mitsi, Scott Jones, Simon P. Jochems, Lucy Roalfe, Deus Thindwa, James E. Meiring, Jacquline Msefula, Farouck Bonomali, Tikhala Makhaza Jere, Maurice Mbewe, Andrea M. Collins, Stephen B. Gordon, Melita A. Gordon, Daniela M. Ferreira, Neil French, David Goldblatt, Robert S. Heyderman, Todd D. Swarthout
Summary: This study investigates the protective mechanism of childhood pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) against pneumococcal carriage. The results show no clear relationship between antibody quality and protection from carriage, suggesting that PCV13-driven antibody quality may mature with age and exposure.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Rebecca Lester, Patrick Musicha, Kondwani Kawaza, Josephine Langton, James Mango, Helen Mangochi, Winnie Bakali, Oliver Pearse, Jane Mallewa, Brigitte Denis, Sithembile Bilima, Stephen B. Gordon, David G. Lalloo, Christopher P. Jewell, Nicholas A. Feasey
Summary: The study found that resistance to third-generation cephalosporins is associated with increased mortality and longer hospital stays in patients with bloodstream infections in Malawi. It highlights the urgent need for resource allocation towards antimicrobial resistance mitigation strategies in Africa.
Correction
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Simon P. Jochems, Karin de Ruiter, Carla Solorzano, Astrid Voskamp, Elena Mitsi, Elissavet Nikolaou, Beatriz F. Carniel, Sherin Pojar, Esther L. German, Jesus Reine, Alessandra Soares-Schanoski, Helen Hill, Rachel Robinson, Angela D. Hyder-Wright, Caroline M. Weight, Pascal F. Durrenberger, Robert S. Heyderman, Stephen B. Gordon, Hermelijn H. Smits, Britta C. Urban, Jamie Rylance, Andrea M. Collins, Mark D. Wilkie, Lepa Lazarova, Samuel C. Leong, Maria Yazdanbakhsh, Daniela M. Ferreira
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Mukesh K. Dherani, Daniel Pope, Terence Tafatatha, Ellen Heinsbroek, Ryan Chartier, Thandie Mwalukomo, Amelia Crampin, Elena Mitsi, Esther L. German, Elissavet Nikolaou, Carla Solorzano, Daniela M. Ferreira, Todd D. Swarthout, Jason Hinds, Kevin Mortimer, Stephen B. Gordon, Neil French, Nigel G. Bruce
Summary: This study aimed to assess the association between exposure to household air pollution and the prevalence and density of S pneumoniae carriage among children. The study found a significant association between household air pollution exposure and the prevalence of nasopharyngeal S pneumoniae carriage, providing empirical evidence for the potential mechanistic association between exposure to household air pollution and childhood pneumonia.
LANCET GLOBAL HEALTH
(2022)