Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Foteini Gkartziou, Nikolaos Giormezis, Iris Spiliopoulou, Sophia G. Antimisiaris
Summary: The review article focuses on nine leading antimicrobial drug-resistant organisms causing difficult-to-treat infections, discussing bacteriophages and nanosystems developed or used in the last 20 years, highlighting the potential of nano-antimicrobials for the treatment of persistent infections.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Muhammad Atif, Mehwish Naseem, Sajjad Sarwar, Saba Mukhtar, Iram Malik, Muhammad Rauf Ul Hassan, Muhammad Nouman Iqbal, Nafees Ahmad
Summary: This study found that the majority of empyema thoracis patients exhibited high levels of bacterial resistance during treatment, with approximately 25% unable to successfully complete treatment. Short duration of symptoms prior to admission and resistance to five antibiotic classes were significant factors associated with longer hospital stays.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Min Zhou, Ayseguel Varol, Thomas Efferth
Summary: Malaria is one of the most widespread infectious diseases globally, with increasing drug resistance posing new challenges in treatment. Multi-omics technologies offer a comprehensive view of biological mechanisms, aiding research on malaria progress and resistance mechanisms.
PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Vincenzo Motta, Stefano Verdenelli, Rebecca Sparavelli, Mariangela L'Episcopia, Carlo Severini, Fabrizio Bruschi, Silvia Fabiani, Valentina Mangano
Summary: A traveler returning from Ivory Coast was diagnosed with severe malaria and experienced treatment failure with two different antimalarial drugs. Molecular analysis revealed the same strain of the parasite causing the initial infection, suggesting a resurgence of the previous infection. This highlights the importance of monitoring imported malaria cases for drug resistance.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Fei Ma, Yu Ning, Qingqing Wan, Likou Zou, Yuntao Liu, Shujuan Chen, Jianlong Li, Zhen Zeng, Yong Yang, Hong Chen, Min Zhou, Shuliang Liu, Cheng Li, Aiping Liu
Summary: Bacteriophages LSA2308 and LSA2366 showed lytic activity against drug-resistant S. aureus, and combined with ampicillin achieved better clearance in LB broth. In skim milk, a concentration of 10^7 PFU/mL bacteriophages exhibited the most effective bactericidal efficacy against S. aureus strains.
LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Thandi Kapwata, Caradee Y. Wright, David Jean du Preez, Zamantimande Kunene, Angela Mathee, Takayoshi Ikeda, Willem Landman, Rajendra Maharaj, Neville Sweijd, Noboru Minakawa, Suzana Blesic
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between daily hospital admissions and climate variability and air quality in two public hospitals in Limpopo province, South Africa using wavelet transform cross-correlation analysis. The results showed that changes in air quality can predispose pneumonia prevalence, and malaria in South Africa is initiated by the co-occurrence of heat and rainfall. The study provided new statistical estimates of time delays between weather or air pollution changes and increases in hospital admissions for pneumonia and malaria.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sudhakar Padmesh, Aditi Singh, Sidharth Chopra, Manodeep Sen, Saman Habib, Deepti Shrivastava, Parul Johri
Summary: This study isolated 31 bacteriophages from urban sewage treatment plants and analyzed their physico-chemical properties. Two bacteriophages (ASEC2201 and ASEC2202) were able to survive at different temperatures and pH values, as well as effectively combat multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli. Morphological characterization through transmission electron microscopy revealed that both phages were tailed phages, and genomic analysis confirmed that they belonged to the Escherichia phage family Drexlerviridae of Caudovirales.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yanfang Feng, Caroline Coradi Tonon, Tayyaba Hasan
Summary: The combination therapy of amoxicillin and light-activated methylene blue was found to have a synergistic effect against MRSA, with up to 8 logs reduction in MRSA infections. It does not lead to significant bacterial resistance and can effectively treat S. aureus infections.
JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY B-BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Rebecca Kahn, Nir Eyal, Samba O. Sow, Marc Lipsitch
Summary: The World Health Organization recommends mass drug administration (MDA) of azithromycin to reduce childhood mortality in high-risk areas. While concerns about antibiotic resistance exist, MDA falls within a justifiable range compared to other uses of antibiotics. Efforts should be made to improve monitoring and data collection to inform decisions about MDA and antibiotic resistance.
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Patricia Hernandez-Rodriguez, Ludy P. Baquero
Summary: Antimicrobial resistance is a major challenge in medicine today. Combined therapy can serve as an alternative approach to control infections caused by multi-resistant bacteria and provide important guidance in reducing antibiotic use.
CURRENT DRUG TARGETS
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Christopher Duplessis, Jonathan M. Warawa, Matthew B. Lawrenz, Matthew Henry, Biswajit Biswas
Summary: The study evaluated the efficacy of phage therapy against multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa pulmonary infection in a mouse model, achieving protective effects through alternative and combination therapy. Additionally, partial additive effects of phage-antibiotic combination therapy were observed by slowing the progression of infection.
Review
Veterinary Sciences
Kate Parrish, Peter D. Kirkland, Lee F. Skerratt, Ellen Ariel
Summary: Since their discovery in 2014, reptile nidoviruses have become significant pathogens worldwide, particularly causing respiratory diseases in captive snake species. While there have been studies in captive snake collections, the disease risk to wild reptile populations remains largely unknown, highlighting the need for more experimental and investigative research.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Rohit Patil, Deepa Dehari, Aiswarya Chaudhuri, Dulla Naveen Kumar, Dinesh Kumar, Sanjay Singh, Gopal Nath, Ashish Kumar Agrawal
Summary: Antibiotic resistance poses a critical challenge in ocular infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus, leading to serious effects on the eyes. The development of resistance against multiple antibiotics makes the treatment of S. aureus infections increasingly difficult. Bacteriophage therapy, especially with nanotechnology-based formulations, shows promise in overcoming the obstacles and successfully treating multidrug-resistant S. aureus infections.
MICROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Hongfei Shi, Kun Wang, Li Wang, Shiyu Sun, Bozhen Li, Lunguang Yao
Summary: This article reports the association between respiratory disease and death in sheep with Enterobacter hormaechei, and describes for the first time the pathological changes caused by this bacterium in sheep lungs.
BMC VETERINARY RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Wing Yin Venus Lau, Patrick K. Taylor, Fiona S. L. Brinkman, Amy H. Y. Lee
Summary: Novel therapeutics are urgently needed to manage bacterial infections as antimicrobial resistance (AMR) increases. Antivirulence therapeutics, which aim to weaken bacterial virulence and minimize the risk of AMR development, offer an alternative approach to antibiotics. Pathogen-associated genes (PAGs) that are unique to pathogens may play a crucial role in virulence or host association and represent potential drug targets. This review discusses the current advances in antivirulence drug research, including PAG identification, and emphasizes the importance of integrating bioinformatic/genomic-based methods for discovering novel virulence factors and developing effective antivirulence drugs.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Katherine R. Landwehr, Jessica Hillas, Ryan Mead-Hunter, Andrew King, Rebecca A. O' Leary, Anthony Kicic, Benjamin J. Mullins, Alexander N. Larcombe, W. A. E. R. P. WAERP
Summary: To address climate change and reduce carbon footprint, the use of renewable biodiesel blended with commercial diesel fuel is expected to increase. This study aimed to assess the impact of biodiesel feedstock on exhaust toxicity of 20% blended biodiesel fuels. The results showed that different biodiesel feedstocks had varying effects on exhaust toxicity, with palm, soy, and tallow biodiesel being the most toxic, and canola and WCO biodiesel being the least toxic. The findings suggest that feedstock type greatly influences the exhaust toxicity, even at a 20% blend ratio.
Review
Infectious Diseases
Sue C. Nang, Yu-Wei Lin, Aleksandra Petrovic Fabijan, Rachel Y. K. Chang, Gauri G. Rao, Jonathan Iredell, Hak-Kim Chan, Jian Li
Summary: This review examines the current literature on phage pharmacology and highlights major pharmacological challenges for phage therapy. The lack of PK/PD information represents a major challenge for phage therapy, as therapeutic phages are biological entities with complex PK/PD.
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Yuncheng Wang, Dipesh Khanal, Adit B. Alreja, Hang Yang, Rachel Y. K. Chang, Waiting Tai, Mengyu Li, Daniel C. Nelson, Warwick J. Britton, Hak-Kim Chan
Summary: This study investigated the feasibility of producing inhalable powders of endolysins Cpl-1 and ClyJ-3 using spray drying method with excipients. The results showed that ClyJ-3 lost its bioactivity before the drying process, while Cpl-1 maintained its bioactivity in the spray-dried powders. Cpl-1 formulations with leucine and either lactose or trehalose exhibited promising physico-chemical properties and aerosol performances. These findings suggest that endolysin Cpl-1 can be formulated as spray dry powders for potential treatment of pulmonary infections.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Dipesh Khanal, Jinhee Kim, Jing Zhang, Wei-Ren Ke, Mark M. Banaszak Holl, Hak Kim Chan
Summary: The aim of this research was to use optical photothermal infrared spectroscopy (OPTIR) to analyse the chemical composition of pharmaceutical dry powder inhalation (DPI) aerosol particles. The study confirmed the presence of specific chemical peaks related to the drugs and excipients in the size-segregated particles of DPI formulations. It also found that the drug to excipient distribution ratio varied in different formulations, indicating heterogeneity. The results showed that OPTIR can serve as a valuable analytical platform for screening the physicochemical properties of DPI aerosols in solid state.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Athiya Azeem, Gajendra Singh, Lunjian Li, Hak-Kim Chan, Runyu Yang, Shaokoon Cheng, Agisilaos Kourmatzis
Summary: This study quantified the probability of agglomerate-to-wall collision using a unique image processing technique. The purpose was to investigate the effects of flow rate and particle size on the percentage of colliding agglomerates within a powder dispersion device.
PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Grace Tsz Yan Yau, Waiting Tai, Jonathon Carl Arnold, Hak-Kim Chan, Philip Chi Lip Kwok
Summary: The use of cannabidiol (CBD) for treating brain disorders has gained increasing interest. This review examines the preclinical and clinical evidence on the therapeutic use of CBD in treating various brain disorders, as well as different drug delivery approaches for CBD.
PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Hiu Ting Chan, Satoshi Nagayama, Masumi Otaki, Yoon Ming Chin, Yosuke Fukunaga, Masashi Ueno, Yusuke Nakamura, Siew-Kee Low
Summary: This study compared the clinical utility and sensitivity of two different approaches to ctDNA analyses in colorectal cancer patients. It found that tumor-informed ctDNA analysis was more accurate in monitoring genetic mutations compared to tumor-agnostic analysis. Serial monitoring of ctDNA allowed for the early detection of disease recurrence, with a median of 5 months earlier than radiological imaging.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Salman Sahab Atshan, Rukman Awang Hamat, Musheer A. Aljaberi, Jung-Sheng Chen, Shih-Wei Huang, Chung-Ying Lin, Benjamin J. Mullins, Anthony Kicic
Summary: The production and use of antibiotics increased significantly after the Second World War, but bacterial resistance has now become a global issue. High-risk individuals, such as burn and wound patients, as well as those with pulmonary infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, are in urgent need of antibiotics. However, with the decline in investment for new antibiotics, the search for alternative therapeutic strategies, such as bacteriophage therapy, has become crucial.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Katherine R. Landwehr, Ryan Mead-Hunter, Rebecca A. O'Leary, Anthony Kicic, Benjamin J. Mullins, Alexander N. Larcombe
Summary: Our research aimed to investigate the health impacts of exhaust generated by the combustion of diesel and two different biodiesels. The results showed that exposure to Tallow biodiesel exhaust had the most significant health impacts, including increased airway hyperresponsiveness and airway inflammation; whereas exposure to Canola biodiesel exhaust had fewer negative health effects.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Reanne M. Ho, Asha C. Bowen, Christopher C. Blyth, Allison Imrie, Tobias R. Kollmann, Stephen M. Stick, Anthony Kicic
Summary: The global population has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, but children have been underprioritized as a risk factor due to their lower severity of infection. This article discusses the factors contributing to the milder response observed in children, including differences in viral entry receptor expression and immune responses. It also highlights the potential higher risk of emerging and future variants for children with underlying comorbidities. This perspective emphasizes the need for more research to protect vulnerable children.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Kak-Ming Ling, Stephen Michael Stick, Anthony Kicic
Summary: For individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF), hyper-concentrated mucus provides an ideal environment for bacterial colonization and chronic infection. Antibiotic treatment initially limits bacterial pathogens but leads to resistance and long-term consequences. Bacteriophage therapy is a potential alternative, but its effectiveness and dynamics with mucus in respiratory infections are poorly understood. This review examines CF-related lung diseases, the impact of CF mucus, and the therapeutic potential of phage, as well as the interaction between phage and mucus in CF.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Cell Biology
Rohan Flint, Daniel R. Laucirica, Hak-Kim Chan, Barbara J. Chang, Stephen M. Stick, Anthony Kicic
Summary: Pulmonary bacterial infections pose a significant health risk to individuals with chronic respiratory diseases, and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance has necessitated the development of alternative therapies. Phage therapy, which targets antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, shows promise as an adjunct or alternative to antibiotics. Delivery of phages to the lungs is crucial for respiratory infections, and nebulization has been identified as a potential method. However, the factors that affect phage stability during nebulized delivery have not been fully characterized.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dhammika Leshan, Aye Mya Sithu Shein, Cameron Hurst, Peter N. Monk, Parichart Hongsing, Phatthranit Phattharapornjaroen, William Graham Fox Ditcham, Puey Ounjai, Thammakorn Saethang, Naphat Chantaravisoot, Pattama Wapeesittipan, Sirirat Luk-in, Sasipen Sae-Joo, Sumanee Nilgate, Ubolrat Rirerm, Chanikan Tanasatitchai, Naris Kueakulpattana, Matchima Laowansiri, Tingting Liao, Rosalyn Kupwiwat, Rojrit Rojanathanes, Natharin Ngamwongsatit, Somkanya Tungsanga, Asada Leelahavanichkul, Naveen Kumar Devanga Ragupathi, Vishnu Nayak Badavath, S. M. Ali Hosseini, Talerngsak Kanjanabuch, Nattiya Hirankarn, Robin James Storer, Longzhu Cui, Mohan Amarasiri, Hitoshi Ishikawa, Paul G. Higgins, Stephen M. Stick, Anthony Kicic, Tanittha Chatsuwan, Shuichi Abe
Summary: The novel aztreonam-Ca-EDTA or ceftazidime-avibactam-Ca-EDTA combinations show favorable efficacy and safety in treating carbapenemase-positive Klebsiella pneumoniae (CPKp) infections.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dhammika Leshan Wannigama, Mohan Amarasiri, Parichart Hongsing, Cameron Hurst, Charin Modchang, Sudarat Chadsuthi, Suparinthon Anupong, Phatthranit Phattharapornjaroen, S. M. Ali Hosseini Rad, Stefan Fernandez, Angkana T. Huang, Porames Vatanaprasan, Dylan John Jay, Thammakorn Saethang, Sirirat Luk-in, Robin James Storer, Puey Ounjai, Naveen Kumar Devanga Ragupathi, Phitsanuruk Kanthawee, Daisuke Sano, Takashi Furukawa, Kazunari Sei, Asada Leelahavanichkul, Talerngsak Kanjanabuch, Nattiya Hirankarn, Paul G. Higgins, Anthony Kicic, Andrew C. Singer, Tanittha Chatsuwan, Sam Trowsdale, Shuichi Abe, Alexander D. McLellan, Hitoshi Ishikawa
Summary: This study analyzed wastewater samples from 186 urban and rural subdistricts in nine provinces of Thailand to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA variants. The results showed that wastewater RNA concentrations could be used to estimate real-time incidence and predict outbreaks earlier than official reports.
