Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Yunjian Yu, Jie Li, Yufei Zhang, Zhuang Ma, Haonan Sun, Xiaosong Wei, Yayun Bai, Zhongming Wu, Xinge Zhang
Summary: Intracellular bacteria-mediated antibiotic tolerance is important in chronic and recurrent infections. A novel therapeutic approach has been developed to deliver antibiotics into bacteria-infected macrophages and enhance drug accumulation and bactericidal activity. This platform effectively eliminates intracellular pathogens through multiple mechanisms.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Wei Yan, Parikshit Banerjee, Miao Xu, Subhankar Mukhopadhyay, Margaret Ip, Nicholas B. Carrigy, David Lechuga-Ballesteros, Kenneth Kin Wah To, Sharon S. Y. Leung
Summary: Bacteriophages are antibacterial viruses that are not affected by antibiotic resistance. Clinical trials have shown acceptable safety profiles, but there is a lack of data to support the promising outcomes of experimental phage therapy. The effectiveness of phage therapy depends on the ratio of phage to bacterial concentrations at the infection site.
ADVANCED DRUG DELIVERY REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Samuel Cota Teixeira, Thaise Lara Teixeira, Paula Cristina Brigido Tavares, Rosiane Nascimento Alves, Aline Alves da Silva, Bruna Cristina Borges, Flavia Alves Martins, Marlus Alves dos Santos, Patricia de Castilhos, Rebecca Tavares e Silva Brigido, Ana Flavia Oliveira Notario, Anna Clara Azevedo Silveira, Claudio Vieira da Silva
Summary: Many pathogenic microorganisms need to enter the intracellular compartment or target cell cytoplasm for survival, replication, or evasion of the immune system. They often use endocytic and phagocytic pathways to enter cells, but employ various mechanisms to avoid destruction by lysosomes.
MICROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Jinzhou Ye, Xinhai Chen
Summary: Infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria are a major global health challenge. This review compiles the most promising strategies currently under development to tackle antibiotic resistance, including the discovery of novel antibiotics, improvement of existing antibiotics, and the development of alternatives to conventional antibiotics. Clinical or preclinical studies show the great potential of these treatments against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, with some products expected to become commercially available soon.
Article
Biophysics
Zonghao Tang, Shuyun Liu, Ni Chen, Mao Luo, Jianbo Wu, Youkun Zheng
Summary: This study demonstrates the therapeutic potential of 4,6-diamino-2-mercaptopyrimidine-functionalized AuNCs (AuDAMP) for intracellular multidrug-resistant infections in a co-culture model of macrophages and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). AuNCs exhibit superior intracellular antibacterial capability, eliminate MRSA phagocytosed by macrophages, and have no cytotoxic effects on host RAW 264.7 macrophages. Additionally, AuDAMP treatment enhances the innate immune response, defends against pathogens invading host cells, and alleviates bacterial infection-induced inflammatory responses.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES B-BIOINTERFACES
(2021)
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Jordy Evan Sulaiman, Henry Lam
Summary: Antibiotic resistance is a global health problem, and persistence and tolerance are alternative mechanisms for pathogens to survive antibiotic doses. The application of proteomic studies in studying persistence and tolerance is limited, but recent studies have provided fresh insights and potential drug targets for controlling these dangerous pathogens.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Beatriz Acuna Hidalgo, Luis M. Silva, Mathias Franz, Roland R. Regoes, Sophie A. O. Armitage
Summary: The relationship between virulence and pathogen clearance in the context of bacterial infections in Drosophila melanogaster is explored. The study demonstrates that variation in infection outcomes is determined by differences in bacterial infection intensity and parasite pathogenicity, while pathogen clearance is influenced by early-phase exploitation. The application of the virulence decomposition framework provides valuable insights into host-pathogen interactions.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Y. W. S. Yeung, Y. Ma, S. Y. Liu, W. H. Pun, S. L. Chua
Summary: Since the COVID-19 pandemic, alcohol-based hand sanitizer dispensers (HSDs) have been installed in public and clinical settings, but research suggests that they can harbor alcohol-tolerant bacterial pathogens. A study found that HSDs in various locations were contaminated with microbial pathogens such as Bacillus cereus and Enterobacter cloacae, which showed high tolerance to alcohol and resistance to antibiotics. These pathogens exhibited higher virulence in an infection model.
JOURNAL OF HOSPITAL INFECTION
(2022)
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Asmat Ali, Abdul Waris, Muhammad Ajmal Khan, Muhammad Asim, Atta Ullah Khan, Sahrish Khan, Jehan Zeb
Summary: Emerging and re-emerging bacterial infections pose a serious threat to human and animal health, especially those caused by intracellular bacteria. Current treatment methods involve narrow-spectrum antibiotics, but FDA-approved vaccines for obligate intracellular bacterial infections are lacking. However, various types of vaccines are currently being tested in clinical trials, including live, attenuated, subunit, killed whole cell, nano-based, and DNA vaccines.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhongyan Li, Fengqi Sun, Xinmiao Fu, Yajuan Chen
Summary: Antibiotic resistance is a serious threat to human health. The study shows that 5-methylindole, a derivative of indole, can directly kill various Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial pathogens, including drug-resistant strains. Additionally, 5-methylindole enhances the efficacy of aminoglycoside antibiotics. This finding offers a new approach for the development of antibacterial agents or adjuvants.
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)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Valentina Nieto Marin, Danieli Fernanda Buccini, Jorge W. Arboleda V, Marlon H. Cardoso, Octavio L. Franco
Summary: Macrophage intracellular infections are difficult to treat due to poor penetration of conventional antibiotics. Antimicrobial peptides and extracellular vesicles have emerged as promising alternatives for drug delivery, with apoptotic bodies showing attraction to macrophages for improved treatment of intracellular infections.
DRUG DISCOVERY TODAY
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Avijit Goswami, Pallavi Raj Sharma, Rachit Agarwal
Summary: Intracellular pathogens pose challenges for antibiotic delivery, leading to exploration of phage therapy as an alternative. While phage therapy has been used for bacterial infections, its efficacy against intracellular bacteria is still being investigated.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Megan A. Files, Kadin M. Kristjansson, Jai S. Rudra, Janice J. Endsley
Summary: Development of novel immunization approaches, especially using nanotechnology, is crucial for combating emerging and ancient infectious agents. Nanomaterial-based vaccines offer potential solutions by balancing immunogenicity and safety.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Pranav P. Kalelkar, Milan Riddick, Andres J. Garcia
Summary: This review discusses the use of antibacterial biomaterials and non-antibiotic therapies to improve the ability to combat antibiotic resistance and recurring infections. Utilizing biomaterials allows for targeted delivery of multiple agents while reducing systemic adverse effects, showing great potential for future development.
NATURE REVIEWS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Tian Deng, Yuqian Jia, Ziwen Tong, Jingru Shi, Zhiqiang Wang, Yuan Liu
Summary: Antibiotic resistance poses a serious threat to public health and human safety. The emergence of the novel resistance gene tet(X4) and its variants has jeopardized the clinical utility of tigecycline, a last-line antibiotic for multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. However, the combination of bismuth drugs, particularly bismuth nitrate [Bi(NO3)(3)], with tigecycline has shown to effectively enhance its antibacterial activity against tet(X)-positive bacteria. This is achieved by inhibiting the enzymatic activity of the Tet(X) protein through competitive and noncompetitive binding mechanisms.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Xia Xiao, Quanmin Huan, Yanhu Huang, Yuan Liu, Ruichao Li, Xilan Xu, Zhiqiang Wang
Summary: The study demonstrates that the antidiabetic drug metformin in combination with Tigecycline (TIG) exhibits potent synergistic effect against multidrug-resistant bacteria, enhancing the efficacy of TIG. This combination disrupts proton motive force and efflux pump function, increasing the intracellular concentration of TIG and potentially serving as an adjuvant for combating superbugs carrying specific resistant genes.
Article
Microbiology
Xia Xiao, Fuxin Zeng, Ruichao Li, Yuan Liu, Zhiqiang Wang
Summary: Horizontal gene transfer plays a significant role in the spread of antibiotic resistance genes, and colistin has been found to increase cell membrane permeability and facilitate the dissemination of ARGs via plasmid conjugation. In this study, exposure to colistin was shown to significantly stimulate the conjugation frequency of different plasmids, and changes in cell membrane structure and gene expression were observed. These findings contribute to our understanding of the potential risks of colistin in antimicrobial resistance dissemination.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Haijie Zhang, Feiyu Yu, Xiaoyu Lu, Yan Li, Daxin Peng, Zhiqiang Wang, Yuan Liu
Summary: In this study, an RNA-based antibiotic Susceptibility Testing (RBAST) was developed to effectively distinguish between colistin-susceptible and mcr-1-mediated colistin-resistant bacteria. The RBAST method detected differentially expressed RNA biomarkers in bacteria after short-term colistin treatment and successfully verified candidate mRNA biomarkers in various conditions. Clinical strains were distinguished with over 93% accuracy using the RBAST approach. This study provides a feasible method for the rapid detection of colistin-resistant strains in clinical practice.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Dejuan Wang, Jingru Shi, Chen Chen, Zhiqiang Wang, Yuan Liu
Summary: This study focuses on modifying the natural antimicrobial peptide Pleurocidin to develop potent and orally available antimicrobial agents. By truncating 11 amino acids at the C-terminus of Pleurocidin, four peptide analogues were obtained. Among them, GK-4 exhibited rapid bacteriostatic activity, stability, low hemolysis, and enhanced resistance to pepsin treatment. Mechanistic studies revealed that GK-4 induced membrane damage, dissipated bacterial membrane potential, and promoted ROS generation. SEM and CD analysis confirmed the resistance of GK-4 to pepsin hydrolysis. Overall, GK-4 shows promise as a potential orally available candidate for treating infections caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Ruichao Li, Lifei Zhang, Xiaoyu Lu, Kai Peng, Yuan Liu, Xia Xiao, Hongqin Song, Zhiqiang Wang
Summary: Carbapenem and tigecycline resistance genes have been spreading widely among humans, animals, and the environment. This study investigated the presence of these resistance genes in Shewanella and Acinetobacter species from a dairy farm in China. The findings indicate the existence of clonal dissemination and the transmission of resistance genes through plasmids.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Dan Fang, Tianqi Xu, Jingyi Sun, Jingru Shi, Fulei Li, Yanqing Yin, Zhiqiang Wang, Yuan Liu
Summary: Gut microbiota-mediated colonization resistance (CR) plays a crucial role in protecting the host from intestinal infections. Sleep deprivation (SD) impairs host CR, but nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) supplementation can restore it. NMN reprograms the altered gut microbiota and metabolite profiles in SD-treated mice, specifically restoring the potential benefits of deoxycholic acid (DCA), which is associated with specific gut microbiota involved in bile acid metabolism.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuqian Jia, Zeyu Wang, Shuyao Zhu, Zhiqiang Wang, Yuan Liu
Summary: The prevalence and spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria is a global challenge to public health. This study assessed the effect of certain disinfectants on bacterial transformation and found that these disinfectants significantly enhanced the transformation of plasmid-encoded antibiotic resistance genes. The study also revealed the mechanisms underlying the promotive effect of disinfectants on transformation. These findings provide new insights into the spread of antibiotic resistance genes through bacterial transformation and indicate potential risks associated with the widespread use of disinfectants.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jingyi Sun, Dan Fang, Zhiqiang Wang, Yuan Liu
Summary: The gut microbiota, comprising the microbial communities in our gastrointestinal tracts, plays a fundamental role in host processes and is closely related to human health and diseases. Sleep deprivation, commonly caused by work pressure and diverse entertainment, has been shown to have adverse effects on human health, including immune-related and metabolic diseases. Additionally, there is accumulating evidence suggesting a link between sleep deprivation-induced diseases and gut microbiota dysbiosis. This review summarizes the effects of sleep deprivation on gut microbiota and subsequent diseases, from the immune system and metabolic system to various organs, highlighting the crucial role of gut microbiota in these diseases. Possible strategies to alleviate sleep deprivation-related diseases are also discussed.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Bingqing Yang, Ziwen Tong, Jingru Shi, Zhiqiang Wang, Yuan Liu
Summary: There is an urgent need for novel antibacterial therapies to combat multidrug-resistant pathogens. Identifying new antimicrobial targets is crucial to avoid cross-resistance issues. Bacterial proton motive force (PMF), which regulates various biological processes, can be a potential target for antibacterial agents.
MEDICINAL RESEARCH REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jinju Cai, Tian Deng, Jingru Shi, Chen Chen, Zhiqiang Wang, Yuan Liu
Summary: The emergence of mobile resistance genes severely compromises the effectiveness of last-resort antibiotics. This study discovers that the FDA-approved drug daunorubicin can potentiate the activity of last-resort antibiotics, inhibit the evolution and spread of antibiotic resistance, and restore the effectiveness of antibiotics in infection models.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Shuyao Zhu, Bingqing Yang, Zhiqiang Wang, Yuan Liu
Summary: The emergence and rapid spread of antibiotic resistance seriously compromise the clinical efficacy of current antibiotic therapies, representing a serious public health threat worldwide. Generally, drug-susceptible bacteria can acquire antibiotic resistance through genetic mutation or gene transfer. However, recent evidence suggests that non-antibiotics can also accelerate the horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes, but their role and mechanism are largely underestimated.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Shuyao Zhu, Bingqing Yang, Yuqian Jia, Feiyu Yu, Zhiqiang Wang, Yuan Liu
Summary: This study aimed to explore the impact of different disinfectants on the horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and their underlying mechanisms. The results showed that quaternary ammonium salt, organic halogen, alcohol, and guanidine disinfectants significantly facilitated the conjugative transfer, while heavy metals, peroxides, and phenols displayed an inhibitory effect. Furthermore, guanidine disinfectants promoted conjugation through increased cell membrane permeability, over-production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), enhanced SOS response, and altered expression of conjugative transfer-related genes. Moreover, guanidine disinfectants also promoted bacterial energy metabolism and flagellum motility. These findings highlight the potential risks caused by the massive use of guanidine disinfectants, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jinju Cai, Jingru Shi, Chen Chen, Mengping He, Zhiqiang Wang, Yuan Liu
Summary: SFAs substantially enhance the antibacterial activity against mcr-positive bacteria, inhibit biofilm formation and eliminate matured biofilms, prevent the spread of mobile colistin resistance, and exhibit excellent therapeutic effect in animal infection models.
Article
Biology
Chen Chen, Jinju Cai, Jingru Shi, Zhiqiang Wang, Yuan Liu
Summary: Disulfiram and its derivatives are effective antibiotic adjuvants that enhance the antibacterial activity of carbapenems and colistin against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens by inhibiting New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase and amplifying colistin's membrane-damaging effects.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)