Article
Cell Biology
Patricia M. Legler, Stephen F. Little, Jeffrey Senft, Rowena Schokman, John H. Carra, Jaimee R. Compton, Donald Chabot, Steven Tobery, David P. Fetterer, Justin B. Siegel, David Baker, Arthur M. Friedlander
Summary: Pegylated capsule depolymerase (PEG-CapD-CPS334C) showed improved pharmacokinetic and therapeutic properties in treating mice infected with Bacillus anthracis. The treatment protected mice from infection and did not rely on antibiotics. These findings suggest that enzyme-catalyzed removal of the capsule may be a potential therapeutic strategy for multidrug-resistant anthrax and other bacterial infections.
SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Freda Loy Aceng, Alex Riolexus Ario, Phoebe Hilda Alitubeera, Mukasa Matinda Neckyon, Daniel Kadobera, Musa Sekamatte, Denis Okethwangu, Lilian Bulage, Julie R. Harris, Willy Nguma, Deo Birungi Ndumu, Joshua Buule, Luke Nyakarahuka, Bao-Ping Zhu
Summary: The study investigated cutaneous anthrax cases in Arua District, Uganda from 2015 to 2017, finding that exposure to carcasses of animals that died suddenly was a significant risk factor for the disease. Recommendations include conducting burden of anthrax investigations in livestock, preventing animal infections through vaccinations, safe disposal of carcasses, public education on potential risk factors, and prompt treatment following exposure to infected animals.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Tucker Maxson, Thiphasone Kongphet-Tran, Thitipong Mongkolrattanothai, Tatiana Travis, Katherine Hendricks, Corinne Parker, Heather P. McLaughlin, Julia Bugrysheva, Frank Ambrosio, Pierre Michel, Blake Cherney, Christine Lascols, David Sue
Summary: Research has shown that most Bacillus anthracis isolates are susceptible to current first-line antimicrobials recommended for postexposure prophylaxis and treatment. Data on potential alternative antimicrobials will be helpful in case of significant resistance to first-line antimicrobials, bioengineered strains, or unavailability/tolerance issues with first-line antimicrobials.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Chih-Yuan Chiang, Douglas J. Lane, Yefen Zou, Tim Hoffman, Jianfeng Pan, Janice Hampton, Jillian Maginnis, Bishnu P. Nayak, Ugo D'Oro, Nicholas Valiante, Andrew T. Miller, Michael Cooke, Tom Wu, Sina Bavari, Rekha G. Panchal
Summary: This study investigated the potential of Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists as immunomodulators for anthrax treatment. Two TLR ligands, Pam(3)CSK(4) and DA-98-WW07, were found to provide protection against B. anthracis infection in mice. DA-98-WW07 also showed enhanced protection when used in combination with ciprofloxacin.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
D. Kavya, Varalakshmi Kilingar Nadumane
Summary: This study reports the combination of SPMet's and Tamoxifen in an in vivo breast cancer model, which shows significantly higher anticancer activity and no noticeable side effects.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anil Kumar Kalvala, Ramesh Nimma, Arvind Bagde, Sunil Kumar Surapaneni, Nilkumar Patel, Peggy Arthur, Li Sun, Rakesh Singh, Nagavendra Kommineni, Aakash Nathani, Yan Li, Mandip Singh
Summary: This study demonstrates that the combination of synthetic cannabidiol (CBD) and Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) enhances the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin (DOX) against DOX-resistant MDAMB-231 cells. CBD and THCV regulate the expression of various genes and proteins involved in cell apoptosis, leading to improved sensitivity to DOX in resistant tumors.
Article
Microbiology
Laura M. Carroll, Chung K. Marston, Cari B. Kolton, Christopher A. Gulvik, Jay E. Gee, Zachary P. Weiner, Jasna Kovac
Summary: This study characterized three B. cereus s.l. isolates associated with two anthrax cases in welders in the United States in 2020. The genomes of these isolates belonged to different species, with two being closely related to B. tropicus and one being most similar to B. anthracis.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Weihong Zhang, Bongkotrat Suyamud, Jenyuk Lohwacharin, Yuyi Yang
Summary: The study of resistance genes and bacterial communities in tap water revealed the importance of mobile genetic elements and heavy metals in the abundance and distribution of resistance genes. The presence of potential hosts for ARGs and MRGs in tap water was also highlighted.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Mohammad Esmkhani, Saeed Shams
Summary: This case report describes a B. cereus cutaneous infection of a hand wound in a young woman from a rural area in Iran. The causative agent was identified using sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, and targeted antibiotic therapy with ciprofloxacin was successful. This case serves as a reminder that B. cereus may cause non-intestinal infections.
BMC INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Lang Zou, Christopher R. Evans, Vuong D. Do, Quinn P. Losefsky, Diem Q. Ngo, Shauna M. McGillivray
Summary: The ClpX ATPase is crucial for Bacillus anthracis resistance to cell envelope targeting antibiotics by forming ClpXP protease. Disruption of clpP genes increases susceptibility to antimicrobials, but neither gene is essential for virulence. Changes in cell envelope morphology, including increased hydrophobicity and cell division defects, were observed in Delta clpX strain.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Henrik A. Svendsen, Torstein R. Meling, Vigdis Nygaard, Stein Waagene, Hege Russnes, Siri Juell, Siril G. Rogne, Jens Pahnke, Eirik Helseth, Oystein Fodstad, Gunhild M. Maelandsmo
Summary: This study established animal models of brain metastases by injecting human melanoma cell lines intracardially in mice, showing that cerebellar metastases had longer survival time and were more likely to form in mice compared to cerebral metastases. The models provide new opportunities for studying factors involved in determining tissue specificity of brain metastasis.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Jun Liao, Xiaobin Zhuo, Bo Pan, Yan Zou, Xiaoyun Chai, Qiuye Wu, Shichong Yu, Weihua Pan, Qingjie Zhao
Summary: This study synthesized di- and trisaccharide mimics of the hexasaccharide antigen related to Bacillus anthracis and covalently coupled them with carrier proteins to form glycoconjugates. The experiments showed that some of the conjugates induced immune responses and generated specific antibodies.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Hui Lin, Wanchun Sun, Danfeng Jin, Qiaogang Yu, Yuyi Yang, Zulin Zhang, Pengfei Sun, Junwei Ma
Summary: Composting was effective in reducing sulfonamide residues and inhibiting the transfer of specific antibiotic resistance genes, but was not as effective in reducing the risks of certain resistant pathogens. Further optimization is needed to target sul1 and sulfonamide-resistant pathogenic bacteria for better outcomes in manure composting to decrease antibiotic resistance dissemination.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Physiology
Mauricio Beitia Kraemer, Karen Christine Silva, Camila Cunha Franca Kraemer, Juliana Silva Pereira, Ivan Gustavo Masseli dos Reis, Denise Goncalves Priolli, Leonardo Henrique Dalcheco Messias
Summary: This study consists of two experiments using athymic Balb/c (Nu/Nu) mice to verify the reproducibility of V-Peak determined from an incremental test, and assess its sensitivity to prescribe and detect modulations of physical training. The results demonstrate that V-Peak is a valid parameter for exercise prescription in studies involving athymic nude mice.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Anne E. Boyer, Maribel Gallegos-Candela, Renato C. Lins, Maria Solano, Adrian R. Woolfitt, John S. Lee, Daniel C. Sanford, Katherine A. B. Knostman, Conrad P. Quinn, Alex R. Hoffmaster, James L. Pirkle, John R. Barr
Summary: This study comprehensively evaluated anthrax toxins during inhalation anthrax and identified three stages of toxemia that align with the clinical stages of the disease. Higher toxin levels in the early stages were associated with faster disease progression, while lower levels were associated with slower progression. Critical toxin levels were defined for entering the late-stage where treatment usually fails. This study provides new insights into anthrax progression and has the potential to improve treatment outcomes and save lives.