Therapeutics and Prevention
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionSecretion of Recombinant Interleukin-22 by Engineered Lactobacillus reuteri Reduces Fatty Liver Disease in a Mouse Model of Diet-Induced ObesityIn humans, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent liver disease due to the increased prevalence of obesity. While treatment of NAFLD is often geared toward lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise, the use of dietary supplements such as probiotics is underinvestigated. Here, we report that probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri reduces fatty liver...
Observation | Therapeutics and PreventionNonclassical Biofilms Induced by DNA Breaks in Klebsiella pneumoniaeMany pathogenic bacteria can form biofilm matrices that consist of complex molecules such as polysaccharides, proteins, and DNA. These biofilms help the bacteria to infect and colonize a host. Such biofilms may attach and develop on the surfaces of indwelling medical devices or other supportive environments. This study found that following double-strand breaks in their DNA, ...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionInduction of Neutralizing Responses against Autologous Virus in Maternal HIV Vaccine TrialsMaternal antiretroviral therapy (ART) has effectively reduced but not eliminated the burden of mother-to-child transmission of HIV across the globe, as an estimated 160,000 children were newly infected with HIV in 2018. Thus, additional preventive strategies beyond ART will be required to close the remaining gap and end the pediatric HIV epidemic. A maternal active immunization strategy that synergizes with maternal ART could further...
Opinion/Hypothesis | Therapeutics and PreventionCan Unconventional Immunomodulatory Agents Help Alleviate COVID-19 Symptoms and Severity?Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2) is the cause of the respiratory infection known as COVID-19. From an immunopathological standpoint, coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-2 induce increased levels of a variety of T-helper 1 (Th1) and inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, including interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6, CCL2 protein, and CXCL10 protein. In the absence of proven antiviral agents or an...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionVaccine Candidate Brucella melitensis 16MΔvjbR Is Safe in a Pregnant Sheep Model and Confers ProtectionBrucellosis is one of the most commonly reported zoonotic disease with a worldwide distribution. Of the 12 Brucella species, Brucella melitensis is considered the most virulent and causes reproductive failure (abortions/stillbirths) in small ruminants, which can spread the disease to other animals or to humans. Vaccination of small ruminants is a key measure...
Minireview | Therapeutics and PreventionCOVID-19: Learning from Lessons To Guide Treatment and Prevention InterventionsCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and first emerged in December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. Since then, the virus has rapidly spread to many countries. While the outbreak in China appears to be in decline, the disease has spread across the world, with a daily increase in the number of confirmed cases and infection-related deaths....
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionInhibition of Respiration of Candida albicans by Small Molecules Increases Phagocytosis Efficacy by MacrophagesThe yeast Candida albicans is one of the major fungal human pathogens, for which new therapeutic approaches are required. We aimed at enhancements of the phagocytosis efficacy of macrophages by targeting the cell wall structure of C. albicans, as the coverage of the β-glucan layer by mannans is one...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionThe Diversity Outbred Mouse Population Is an Improved Animal Model of Vaccination against Tuberculosis That Reflects Heterogeneity of ProtectionWe vaccinated the Diversity Outbred (DO) population of mice with BCG, the only vaccine currently used to protect against tuberculosis, and then challenged them with M. tuberculosis by aerosol. We found that the BCG-vaccinated DO mouse population exhibited a wide range of outcomes, in which outcomes in individual mice ranged from minimal respiratory or systemic disease...
Editor's Pick Observation | Therapeutics and PreventionOxadiazole-Containing Macrocyclic Peptides Potentiate Azole Activity against Pathogenic Candida SpeciesFungal infections, such as those caused by pathogenic Candida species, pose a serious threat to human health. Treating these infections relies heavily on the use of azole antifungals; however, resistance to these drugs develops readily, demanding novel therapeutic strategies. This study characterized the antifungal activity of a series of molecules that possess unique chemical attributes and the ability to traverse cellular...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionPeptide Self-Assembly Is Linked to Antibacterial, but Not Antifungal, Activity of Histatin 5 DerivativesAntimicrobial peptides are important modulators of host defense against bacterial, fungal, and viral pathogens in humans and other multicellular organisms. Two converging paradigms point to a link between antimicrobial peptides that self-assemble into amyloid-like nanoassemblies and classical amyloidogenic peptides that often have potent broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, suggesting that antimicrobial and amyloidogenic peptides may...