Article
Microbiology
Thea Brennan-Krohn, Liam Friar, Sarah Ditelberg, James E. Kirby
Summary: The study found that combinations of antifungal and antibacterial agents can effectively treat multidrug-resistant Candida auris infections.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Richar Torres, Adriana Barreto-Santamaria, Gabriela Arevalo-Pinzon, Carolina Firacative, Beatriz L. Gomez, Patricia Escandon, Manuel Alfonso Patarroyo, Julian E. Munoz
Summary: The study evaluated the antifungal activity of three synthetic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) against Candida species, including the multidrug-resistant Candida auris. The AMPs showed antifungal activity against all Candida species tested and had effects on biofilm formation and cell viability in C. auris and C. albicans. The study suggests that these AMPs are potential therapeutic alternatives against important Candida species.
Article
Microbiology
Petra V. Schwarz, Ilya Nikolskiy, Eric Dannaoui, Frank Sommer, Gert Bange, Patrick Schwarz
Summary: In vitro interactions between broad-spectrum azole isavuconazole and flavonoid isoquercitrin were evaluated against Candida strains, showing synergistic effect in C. glabrata strains but no effect in other species.
Article
Microbiology
Gladys Pinilla, Yenifer Tatiana Coronado, Gabriel Chaves, Liliana Munoz, Jeannette Navarrete, Luz Mary Salazar, Carlos Pelleschi Taborda, Julian E. Munoz
Summary: Fungal infections have become a major problem in immunosuppressed or ICU patients, and the resistance of fungi to conventional antifungal treatments is increasing. This study evaluated the in vitro antifungal activity of LL-37 analogue peptides against Candida spp. The results suggest that LL37-1 and AC-2 have the best inhibitory effect on Candida strains.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Majid Rasool Kamli, Jamal S. M. Sabir, Maqsood Ahmad Malik, Aijaz Ahmad
Summary: This study investigated the antifungal effect of human beta defensin-1 (hBD-1) and its mechanism of action in Candida glabrata. The results showed that hBD-1 exhibited antifungal activity against C. glabrata and induced oxidative stress and cell cycle arrest. This suggests that hBD-1 has the potential to be developed as an antifungal drug.
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Vanessa Duncan, Daniel Smith, Laura Simpson, Emma Lovie, Laura Katvars, Leon Berge, Jennifer Robertson, Shane Smith, Carol Munro, Derry Mercer, Deborah O'Neil
Summary: Fungi cause disease in nearly one billion individuals worldwide, and current antifungal agents face challenges such as emerging and drug-resistant fungi, toxicity, and drug-drug interactions. The development of NP339, a polyarginine peptide with potent antifungal activity against various pathogenic fungi, presents a promising solution to these challenges. NP339 targets fungal cell membranes specifically, demonstrating rapid fungicidal activity without inducing resistance, suggesting its potential as a differentiated antifungal candidate for serious fungal diseases.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2021)
Article
Integrative & Complementary Medicine
Maria Coronada Fernandez-Calderon, Laura Hernandez-Gonzalez, Carolina Gomez-Navia, Maria Teresa Blanco-Blanco, Rosa Sanchez-Silos, Leopoldo Lucio, Ciro Perez-Giraldo
Summary: The study found that a new Spanish ethanolic extract of propolis exhibited antifungal activity against Candida glabrata, including azole-resistant strains, and reduced biofilm formation. These results suggest the potential use of propolis in controlling fungal infections associated with biofilms.
BMC COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE AND THERAPIES
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Marco Antonio Hernandez-Martinez, Luis Maria Suarez-Rodriguez, Joel Edmundo Lopez-Meza, Alejandra Ochoa-Zarzosa, Rafael Salgado-Garciglia, Silvia Patricia Fernandez-Pavia, Rodolfo Lopez-Gomez
Summary: The antimicrobial peptide PaSn, expressed in avocado seeds, demonstrates antifungal activity against plant and human pathogenic fungi. The recombinant production of PaSn in the Escherichia coli system shows potential for controlling fungal diseases in postharvest fruits and human fungal pathogens.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Siham Shaban, Mrudula Patel, Aijaz Ahmad
Summary: This study examined the antifungal activity of seven different human antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) against Candida auris, a multidrug-resistant yeast. The results showed that all tested peptides had fungicidal effects against C. auris at different levels. The peptides also showed synergistic interaction when combined with conventional antifungal drugs. These findings suggest that the tested peptides could be used as a monotherapy or in combination with antifungal drugs to treat multidrug-resistant C. auris infections.
INTERNATIONAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Payal Gupta, Hrishikesh Gupta, Krishna Mohan Poluri
Summary: The research evaluated the antifungal activity of geraniol against Candida glabrata biofilm, discovering multiple mechanisms including biofilm eradication, cellular pathway interference, and induction of apoptosis. These findings strengthen the candidacy of geraniol as a novel antifungal therapeutic.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Bao Gia Vu, Lucia Simonicova, W. Scott Moye-Rowley
Summary: Fluconazole use leads to the selection of resistant organisms, particularly in Candida glabrata. Elevated minimal inhibitory concentrations for fluconazole in C. glabrata are associated with mutations in the PDR1 gene. Calcineurin, a protein phosphatase, is required for the induction of PDR1 transcriptional regulation by fluconazole, and it links azole and echinocandin susceptibility together through the control of transcription factor activity.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fernando Lobo, Maily Selena Gonzalez, Alicia Boto, Jose Manuel Perez de la Lastra
Summary: In this study, pretrained protein models were used as feature extractors to develop predictive models for antifungal peptide activity. Various machine learning classifiers were trained and evaluated, with the AFP predictor achieving comparable performance to state-of-the-art methods. Overall, this study demonstrates the effectiveness of pretrained models for peptide analysis and provides a valuable tool for predicting antifungal peptide activity and potentially other peptide properties.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Ahmed Gamal, Sherman Chu, Thomas S. McCormick, Katyna Borroto-Esoda, David Angulo, Mahmoud A. Ghannoum
Summary: Systemic infections caused by Candida glabrata pose a significant threat to both immunocompromised and non-immunocompromised patients, with increasing resistance to traditional antifungal therapies. Ibrexafungerp, a first-in-class glucan synthase inhibitor, shows promising broad-spectrum activity against C. glabrata, including drug-resistant strains, and has potential for treating vulvovaginal candidiasis. Further preclinical and clinical studies are needed to explore its mechanisms and evaluate its efficacy as a new agent for C. glabrata infections.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Marie-Louise Heymich, Laura Nissl, Dominik Hahn, Matthias Noll, Monika Pischetsrieder
Summary: The study found that antimicrobial peptides Leg1 and Leg2 from chickpea have the potential to be used as preservatives against bacterial, fungal, and oxidative spoilage in food and other products, without cytotoxic effects on human cells. Additionally, Leg2 showed antioxidative activity by radical scavenging and reducing mechanisms.
Article
Microbiology
Miriam Alisa Knoll, Eldina Samardzic, Wilfried Posch, Cornelia Lass-Floerl
Summary: This study evaluated the influence of inoculum preparation on the detection of resistant and susceptible subpopulations of Candida in EUCAST broth dilution and Etest methods. The results showed that modifying the inoculum preparation method can improve the identification of resistant subpopulations.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Brunella Grassiri, Andrea Mezzetta, Giuseppantionio Maisetta, Chiara Migone, Angela Fabiano, Semih Esin, Lorenzo Guazzelli, Ylenia Zambito, Giovanna Batoni, Anna Maria Piras
Summary: The study evaluated the use of ionic liquids (ILs) as functional excipients for solubilizing and stabilizing diacerein (DIA) in eye drop formulations and prolonging its ocular residence time. Two ILs based on natural zwitterionic compounds were investigated: L-carnitine C6 alkyl ester bromide (Carn6) and betaine C6 alkyl ester bromide (Bet6). The ILs demonstrated solubilizing, stabilizing, mucoadhesive, and antimicrobial properties, with potential for future use in ophthalmic applications.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Textiles
Flavio De Maio, Giulia Santarelli, Valentina Palmieri, Giordano Perini, Alessandro Salustri, Ivana Palucci, Giovanni Delli Carpini, Alberto Augello, Maurizio Sanguinetti, Marco De Spirito, Michela Sali, Giovanni Delogu, Massimiliano Papi
Summary: Respiratory tract infections are the leading cause of death from infectious diseases globally, with COVID-19 adding to the burden of existing respiratory tract infections like tuberculosis. Graphene and curcumin can be used to create fabric coatings on cotton and polyester, providing personal protective equipment that is resistant to infectious agents.
JOURNAL OF NATURAL FIBERS
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Luca Masucci, Silvia D'Ippolito, Flavio De Maio, Gianluca Quaranta, Roberta Mazzarella, Delia Mercedes Bianco, Roberta Castellani, Annalisa Inversetti, Maurizio Sanguinetti, Antonio Gasbarrini, Giovanni Scambia, Nicoletta Di Simone
Summary: The incidence of Idiopathic Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL) is higher in patients with Celiac Disease (CD) and is associated with genetic components HLA-DQ2 and DQ8. This study evaluated the microbiota of endometrial and vaginal samples in RPL patients with and without HLA-DQ2/DQ8, as well as healthy pregnant women. The results showed significant differences in the composition of Lactobacillus species in the RPL groups compared to the controls.
Article
Immunology
Domenico Pascucci, Adriano Grossi, Alberto Lontano, Eleonora Marziali, Mario Cesare Nurchis, Vincenzo Maria Grassi, Matteo Raponi, Giuseppe Vetrugno, Giovanni Capelli, Giovanna Elisa Calabro, Domenico Staiti, Maurizio Sanguinetti, Gianfranco Damiani, Patrizia Laurenti
Summary: This study evaluates the duration of protection provided by the booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine in healthcare workers and analyzes the factors associated with post-booster vaccination infections. The study found that the risk of becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2 increased over time, and it was significantly higher for females, younger patients, and individuals who received a hybrid immunity. The study highlights the importance of continuous monitoring of vaccine-induced immunogenicity.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Delia Mercedes Bianco, Flavio De Maio, Giulia Santarelli, Ivana Palucci, Alessandro Salustri, Giada Bianchetti, Giuseppe Maulucci, Franco Citterio, Maurizio Sanguinetti, Enrica Tamburrini, Michela Sali, Giovanni Delogu
Summary: Despite being investigated as a host-directed therapy in treating tuberculosis, Everolimus showed no direct or indirect activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Even in an immunosuppressed patient, Everolimus did not affect the viability of Mtb and had minimal impact in host cells during infection. This case emphasizes the importance of careful drug repurposing and pre-clinical experimental studies.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Flavio De Maio, Giacomo Grotti, Francesco Mariani, Danilo Buonsenso, Giulia Santarelli, Delia Mercedes Bianco, Brunella Posteraro, Maurizio Sanguinetti, Claudia Rendeli
Summary: It was previously believed that the human bladder is sterile, but recent advances in molecular biology have shown the presence of microorganisms in the urinary tract. Understanding the relationship between urobiota and urinary tract disorders has become a significant research focus. Patients with spina bifida (SB), a condition that can lead to neurogenic bladder and increased susceptibility to urinary tract infections, often undergo clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) for treatment. This study aims to investigate the urobiota composition in SB patients compared to healthy controls and explore the urobiota characteristics in relation to CIC.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lucrezia Laterza, Lorenza Putignani, Carlo Romano Settanni, Valentina Petito, Simone Varca, Flavio De Maio, Gabriele Macari, Valerio Guarrasi, Elisa Gremese, Barbara Tolusso, Giulia Wlderk, Maria Antonia Pirro, Caterina Fanali, Franco Scaldaferri, Laura Turchini, Valeria Amatucci, Maurizio Sanguinetti, Antonio Gasbarrini
Summary: This study investigated the effectiveness of gut microbiota modulation for enhancing recovery after COVID-19. A pilot interventional study was conducted with twenty recently recovered COVID-19 patients to explore the impact of a mixed probiotic containing Lactobacilli, Bifidobacteria, and Streptococcus thermophilus on gastrointestinal symptoms, inflammation, intestinal barrier integrity, and gut microbiota profile. Various markers and computational algorithms were utilized to evaluate the outcomes before and after 8 weeks of probiotic supplementation. The results showed a significant reduction in inflammatory markers and an increase in Bifidobacteria at T-1, indicating potential anti-inflammatory effects and the influence of probiotics on gut microbiota composition.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Lucia Vizzoni, Chiara Migone, Brunella Grassiri, Ylenia Zambito, Baldassare Ferro, Paolo Roncucci, Filippo Mori, Alfonso Salvatore, Ester Ascione, Roberto Crea, Semih Esin, Giovanna Batoni, Anna Maria Piras
Summary: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a severe complication of lung injuries, often caused by various infections. ARDS is associated with high mortality and lacks effective treatment. In this study, the efficacy of mesh nebulisation of plasminogen (PLG) for off-label administration as an ARDS treatment was investigated. Results showed that aerosolised PLG demonstrated optimal deposition, maintained enzymatic activity, and had immunomodulating effects.
Review
Microbiology
Davide Lo Porto, Andrea Cona, Francesca Todaro, Elena De Carolis, Francesca Cardinale, Neha Hafeez, Giuseppina Di Martino, Pier Giulio Conaldi, Maurizio Sanguinetti, Paolo Antonio Grossi, Alessandra Mularoni
Summary: Phaeohyphomycosis is a diverse infection caused by pigmented fungi, and solid organ transplant recipients are at increased risk due to immunosuppression. In this study, three successful cases of phaeohyphomycosis in transplant recipients were treated with surgery and antifungal therapy. A literature review revealed a wide range of fungal species, with Alternaria being the most common. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial in preventing disease dissemination.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Margherita Cacaci, Damiano Squitieri, Valentina Palmieri, Riccardo Torelli, Giordano Perini, Michela Campolo, Maura Di Vito, Massimiliano Papi, Brunella Posteraro, Maurizio Sanguinetti, Francesca Bugli
Summary: The antimicrobial activity of graphene oxide (GO) and curcumin-graphene oxide (GO/CU) against C. parapsilosis was evaluated for the first time. The results showed that GO/CU has anti-planktonic, anti-adhesive, and anti-biofilm properties, with a 72% reduction in cell viability and an 85% decrease in extracellular substances (EPS) secretion after 72 hours of incubation.
Article
Pediatrics
Danilo Buonsenso, Piero Valentini, Francesco Mariani, Silvia Di Noi, Sofia Mazza, Ivana Palucci, Maurizio Sanguinetti, Michela Sali
Summary: The use of salivary swabs (SS) to detect SARS-CoV-2 in adults and children during the COVID-19 pandemic has been widely studied. However, the role of SS in detecting other respiratory viruses in children is not well investigated. This study found that SS has a relatively low sensitivity in detecting common respiratory viruses in children, especially in younger children or those with smaller amounts of saliva collected. New strategies to improve saliva collection are needed for testing on a larger study population.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Giada Bianchetti, Flavio De Maio, Alessio Abeltino, Cassandra Serantoni, Alessia Riente, Giulia Santarelli, Maurizio Sanguinetti, Giovanni Delogu, Roberta Martinoli, Silvia Barbaresi, Marco De Spirito, Giuseppe Maulucci
Summary: The human gut microbiome plays a significant role in human health and disease development. Recent advancements in technology have allowed for a better understanding of its composition and functions. Diet, specifically, has been found to shape the gut microbiome, affecting its diversity, population size, and metabolism. Personalized nutrition, based on individual characteristics, has shown promise in directly impacting the gut microbiome. Longitudinal studies are necessary to fully comprehend the long-term effects of specific diets and food components on the gut microbiome, as well as the variations between individuals. Accurate methods of collecting dietary data and the application of machine learning techniques hold immense potential in understanding the gut microbiome's response to diet and providing tailored lifestyle recommendations.
Article
Microbiology
Loris Riccardo Lopetuso, Lucrezia Laterza, Valentina Petito, Silvia Pecere, Gianluca Quaranta, Federica Del Chierico, Pierluigi Puca, Elisa Schiavoni, Daniele Napolitano, Andrea Poscia, Gianluca Ianiro, Daniela Pugliese, Lorenza Putignani, Maurizio Sanguinetti, Alessandro Armuzzi, Luca Masucci, Antonio Gasbarrini, Giovanni Cammarota, Franco Scaldaferri
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of exercise therapy for patients with cervical spondylosis. The results showed that patients who received exercise therapy had significantly better pain levels, functional recovery, and quality of life compared to those who received traditional treatment.
Article
Plant Sciences
Silvia Rizzo, Maura Di Vito, Elena Mazzinelli, Ilaria Favuzzi, Riccardo Torelli, Margherita Cacaci, Alessandro Arcovito, Maurizio Sanguinetti, Stefania Garzoli, Giuseppina Nocca, Francesca Bugli
Summary: Researchers have created a delivery system for cinnamaldehyde (CIN) using PLGA microparticles (CIN-MPs) to combat antibiotic resistance of microorganisms. The conveyed CIN increased the antifungal effects, especially against antibiotic-resistant strains of Candida spp. The slow and prolonged release of CIN from the PLGA MPs ensured a constant and uniform concentration within the cells.
Article
Microbiology
Carla Bromuro, Brunella Posteraro, Rita Murri, Massimo Fantoni, Mario Tumbarello, Maurizio Sanguinetti, Rosanna Dattilo, Roberto Cauda, Antonio Cassone, Antonella Torosantucci, Floyd L. Wormley
Summary: In this retrospective study, antibody immunity in candidemia patients was evaluated by analyzing sera taken at candidemia diagnosis. The presence of IgG antibodies against Candida antigens Als3, Mp65, Hyr1, and Eno1 were observed in all patients at significantly higher levels compared to non-candidemia controls. Antibodies against Als3 and Mp65 were found to be associated with lower 30-day patient mortality. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the antibody response against Als3 and Mp65, along with other variables, could accurately predict candidemia outcome.
