Therapeutics and Prevention
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionVitamin E Increases Antimicrobial Sensitivity by Inhibiting Bacterial Lipocalin Antibiotic BindingBacteria exposed to stress mediated by sublethal antibiotic concentrations respond by adaptive mechanisms leading to an overall increase of antibiotic resistance. One of these mechanisms involves the release of bacterial proteins called lipocalins, which have the ability to sequester antibiotics in the extracellular space before they reach bacterial cells. We speculated that interfering with lipocalin-mediated antibiotic binding could...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionAcquired Nisin Resistance in Staphylococcus aureus Involves Constitutive Activation of an Intrinsic Peptide Antibiotic Detoxification ModuleNIS and related bacteriocins are of interest as candidates for the treatment of human infections caused by Gram-positive pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus. An important liability of NIS in this regard is the ease with which S. aureus acquires resistance. Here we establish that this organism...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionImproving Our Understanding of Salmonella enterica Serovar Paratyphi B through the Engineering and Testing of a Live Attenuated Vaccine StrainWe developed a live attenuated Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi B vaccine that conferred protection in mice against challenge with S. Paratyphi B sensu stricto and S. Paratyphi B Java, which are the causes of enteric fever and gastroenteritis, respectively. Currently, the incidence of invasive S. Paratyphi B sensu stricto...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionGlycerol Monolaurate (GML) and a Nonaqueous Five-Percent GML Gel Kill Bacillus and Clostridium SporesBacillus and Clostridium spores are known to be highly resistant to killing, persisting on environmental and human body surfaces for long periods of time. In favorable environments, these spores may germinate and cause human diseases. It is thus important to identify agents that can be used on both environmental and human skin and mucosal surfaces and that are effective in killing spores. We previously showed that the...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionHydroxypropyl-Beta-Cyclodextrin Reduces Inflammatory Signaling from Monocytes: Possible Implications for Suppression of HIV Chronic Immune ActivationChronic immune activation is a hallmark of HIV infection and is often not controlled even in patients under antiretroviral therapy. Indeed, chronic diseases with inflammatory pathogenesis are being reported as major causes of death for HIV-infected persons. Hydroxypropyl-beta cyclodextrin (HP-BCD) is a cholesterol-sequestering drug that inhibits HIV replication and infectivity in vitro and in vivo. Recent studies have...
Meeting Highlights | Therapeutics and PreventionThe Fourth International Neonatal and Maternal Immunization Symposium (INMIS 2017): Toward Integrating Maternal and Infant Immunization ProgramsThis report provides an overview of the proceedings of the 4th International Maternal and Neonatal Immunization Symposium, where presentations focused on the state-of-the-art research on the development and implementation of vaccines given during pregnancy for the protection of mothers and infants.
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionAlexidine Dihydrochloride Has Broad-Spectrum Activities against Diverse Fungal PathogensThe prevalence of fungal infections has seen a rise in the past decades due to advances in modern medicine leading to an expanding population of device-associated and immunocompromised patients. Furthermore, the spectrum of pathogenic fungi has changed, with the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains such as C. auris. High mortality related to fungal infections...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionA High-Throughput Screening Approach To Repurpose FDA-Approved Drugs for Bactericidal Applications against Staphylococcus aureus Small-Colony VariantsConventional antibiotics fail to successfully treat chronic osteomyelitis, endocarditis, and device-related and airway infections. These recurring infections are associated with the emergence of SCV, which are recalcitrant to conventional antibiotics. Studies have investigated antibiotic therapies to treat SCV-related infections but have had little success, emphasizing the need to identify novel antimicrobial drugs. However, drug...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionImmune Modulatory Potential of Anti-idiotype Antibodies as a Surrogate of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus AntigenFoot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a contagious viral disease of animals. Multiple serotypes and antigenic variation in the viral genome are probably the factors that reduce control of the disease. Currently, the vaccines employed against FMD use killed virus. The inactivation or killing of the virus makes it less immunogenic and reduces its immunoprophylactic potential. To cope with this situation, the present study was designed, anti-...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionStructure of the Recombinant Neisseria gonorrhoeae Adhesin Complex Protein (rNg-ACP) and Generation of Murine Antibodies with Bactericidal Activity against GonococciNeisseria gonorrhoeae (gonococcus [Ng]) is the causative organism of the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhoea, and the organism is listed by the World Health Organization as a high-priority pathogen for research and development of new control measures, including vaccines. In this study, we demonstrated that the...