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
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
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Vittorio Gattini, Marco Napoletano, Alessandra Bonotti, Aldo Mignani, Francesca Cosentino, Giovanni Guglielmi, Poupak Fallahi, Alfonso Cristaudo, Rudy Foddis
Summary: In response to a meningococcal epidemic outbreak, there was a significant increase in demand for antimeningococcal vaccination among healthcare workers at the University Hospital of Pisa. A total of 41.1% of the population received the vaccine, with better compliance observed among women, older healthcare workers, those with lower educational qualifications, doctors, and healthcare workers in specific departments.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Eve Bernet, Marthe Lebughe, Antony T. Vincent, Mohammad Mehdi Haghdoost, Golara Golbaghi, Steven Laplante, Annie Castonguay, Frederic J. Veyrier
Summary: The study suggests that a boron-based salt, sodium tetraphenylborate (NaBPh4), displays high bactericidal activity against Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, with limited impact on closely related commensal species. The drug candidate's target(s) are likely located intracellularly or within the cell envelope, and mutants with decreased susceptibility show reduced virulence. This narrow selectivity of NaBPh4 is observed to have potential therapeutic importance.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2021)
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
Immunology
Randa H. Ali, Mohamed E. Ali, Reham Samir
Summary: This study developed a novel chemical protocol to produce Neisseria meningitidis ghost vaccine. The vaccine candidate showed both safety and immunogenicity. In animal model, it induced a significantly higher humoral immune response and better serum bactericidal assay values compared to the commercial vaccine. However, clinical studies are needed to further evaluate its effectiveness.
Review
Cell Biology
Simon Peters, Ingo Fohmann, Thomas Rudel, Alexandra Schubert-Unkmeir
Summary: Sphingolipids play crucial roles in cellular processes such as cell growth, apoptosis, inflammation, and migration, as well as in the occurrence of infectious diseases. Pathogens can manipulate sphingolipid metabolism to facilitate invasion and establish a favorable environment in the host. Additionally, certain sphingolipid metabolites can act as the first line of defense against microbes.
Article
Immunology
Kathryn A. Matthias, Kristie L. Connolly, Afrin A. Begum, Ann E. Jerse, Andrew N. Macintyre, Gregory D. Sempowski, Margaret C. Bash
Summary: Recent studies have found that Neisseria meningitidis vaccines lacking specific proteins can provide protection against Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections in mice, and the antibodies produced can cross-react with N. gonorrhoeae. This finding supports the development of a cross-protective vaccine against Neisseria infections.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Elvis Achondou Akomoneh, Jolein Gyonne Elise Laumen, Said Abdellati, Christophe Van Dijck, Thibau Vanbaelen, Xavier Basil Britto, Sheeba S. Manoharan-Basil, Chris Kenyon
Summary: This study investigated the inhibitory effect of oropharyngeal microbiota and Listerine mouthwash on the growth of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Neisseria meningitidis. It found that certain bacteria had inhibitory activity against these pathogens, but daily use of Listerine did not decrease their prevalence.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Chung Pham Van, The Trong Nguyen, Sy Tien Bui, Trong Van Nguyen, Huyen Thi Thanh Tran, Dong Trac Pham, Long Phi Trieu, Manh Dang Nguyen
Summary: This study described the prevalence, clinical features, and treatment outcomes of IMD among young soldiers of the Vietnam People's Army, and identified ceftriaxone resistance in Neisseria meningitidis. New recruits were found to be at higher risk of IMD, with prognostic factors for severity including petechial rash, septicemia, and meningococcemia.
INFECTION AND DRUG RESISTANCE
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Gabriela M. Wassing, Nathalie Ilehag, Jonas Frey, Ann-Beth Jonsson
Summary: Antimicrobial peptides play a crucial role in defending against pathogens, and the co-culture of pathogenic bacteria and commensal microbes can impact AMP expression, with the NF-kappa B inhibitor A20 potentially being a key factor in dampening AMP expression by Neisseria meningitidis.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2021)
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)
Review
Microbiology
Bethany L. Burns, Daniel D. Rhoads
Summary: Neisseria meningitidis is a common commensal bacterium that can also cause severe disease. The emergence of nonencapsulated N. meningitidis urethritis Glade (US_NmUC) in the United States has led to the challenge of diagnosing and distinguishing it from Neisseria gonorrhoeae. This review explores the history, emergence, diagnosis, and treatment of meningococcal urethritis.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Boris Shaskolskiy, Dmitry Kravtsov, Ilya Kandinov, Ekaterina Dementieva, Dmitry Gryadunov
Summary: Chromosomal rearrangements and mobile elements were studied in N. gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis, revealing a stronger correlation between gene order changes and phylogenetic proximity in N. meningitidis. Multiple mobile elements were identified to be involved in chromosomal rearrangements.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Samy Taha, Muhamed-Kheir Taha, Ala-Eddine Deghmane
Summary: Mandatory vaccination against meningococci serogroup C in France has led to a significant decrease in cases among children under 2 years old and a decreasing trend in the 2-14 years old group. However, the vaccine coverage among adolescents and young adults remains low, resulting in no significant decrease among the 15-25 years old group. Genomic analysis identified cyclic variations of two major genotypes, providing important insights for vaccination strategy.