Therapeutics and Prevention
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionDesigned Ankyrin Repeat Protein (DARPin) Neutralizers of TcdB from Clostridium difficile Ribotype 027We report the engineering and characterization of designed ankyrin proteins as potent neutralizers of TcdB toxin secreted by a hypervirulent ribotype 027 strain of Clostridium difficile. We further show that although TcdB toxins from both ribotype 027 and VPI 10461 interact efficiently with TcdB receptors CSPG4 and Pvrl3, TcdB027 lacks significant ability...
Perspective | Therapeutics and PreventionGlycoconjugates: What It Would Take To Master These Well-Known yet Little-Understood Immunogens for Vaccine DevelopmentGlycoconjugate vaccines are a critical component of the medical arsenal against infectious diseases. This established field continues, however, to experience failures in the clinic. The lack of fundamental understanding of factors controlling clinical efficacy of glycoconjugate vaccines is discussed while key parameters demanding focused and collaborative research are identified.
Commentary | Therapeutics and PreventionmSphere of Influence: Uncovering New Ways To Control Multidrug Resistance by Dissecting Essential Cell ProcessesAna L. Flores-Mireles works in the fields of microbial pathogenesis and development of new therapeutics. In this mSphere of Influence article, she reflects on how the papers “Bacterial cell wall biogenesis is mediated by SEDS and PBP polymerase families functioning semi-autonomously” by H.
![Identification of 4-Amino-Thieno[2,3-<em>d</em>]Pyrimidines as QcrB Inhibitors in <span class="named-content genus-species" id="named-content-1">Mycobacterium tuberculosis</span>](https://msphere.asm.org/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/externals/7b56615af4441ab7b2840e5d31309242.jpg?itok=kywyIsdP)
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionIdentification of 4-Amino-Thieno[2,3-d]Pyrimidines as QcrB Inhibitors in Mycobacterium tuberculosisThe global tuberculosis (TB) epidemic has been exacerbated by the rise in drug-resistant TB cases worldwide. To tackle this crisis, it is necessary to identify new vulnerable drug targets in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of TB, and develop compounds that can inhibit the bacterium through novel mechanisms of action. The QcrB subunit of the electron...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionExperimental Mouse Models of Disseminated Candida auris InfectionIn the last decade, Candida auris has emerged globally as a multidrug‐resistant fungal pathogen. Although C. auris was initially isolated from the external ear canal, it can cause outbreaks of invasive infections with very high mortality and comorbidities. Recent reports highlight the ongoing...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionBroad and Effective Protection against Staphylococcus aureus Is Elicited by a Multivalent Vaccine Formulated with Novel AntigensStaphylococcus aureus infections, especially MRSA infections, are becoming a major global health issue and are resulting in mortality rates that are increasing every year. However, an effective vaccine is lacking due to the complexity of the infection process of S. aureus. In this study, we found...
Minireview | Therapeutics and PreventionCombined Antifungal Resistance and Biofilm Tolerance: the Global Threat of Candida aurisThe enigmatic yeast Candida auris has emerged over the last decade and rapidly penetrated our consciousness. The global threat from this multidrug-resistant yeast has generated a call to arms from within the medical mycology community. Over the past decade, our understanding of how this yeast has spread globally, its clinical importance, and how it tolerates and...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionTreatment of Virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis and HIV Coinfected Macrophages with Gallium Nanoparticles Inhibits Pathogen Growth and Modulates Macrophage Cytokine ProductionGaNP interrupts iron-mediated enzymatic reactions, leading to growth inhibition of virulent HIV-M. tuberculosis coinfection in macrophages, and also modulates release of cytokines that may contribute to HIV-TB pathogenesis. Macrophage-targeting GaNP are a promising therapeutic approach to provide sustained antimicrobial activity against HIV-...
Meeting Highlights | Therapeutics and PreventionAIDS Vaccine Research Subcommittee (AVRS) Consultation: Early-Life Immunization Strategies against HIV AcquisitionYoung adults represent one of the highest-risk groups for new HIV infections and the only group in which morbidity continues to increase. Therefore, an HIV vaccine to prevent HIV acquisition in adolescence is a top priority. The introduction of any vaccine during adolescence is challenging. This meeting discussed the opportunities and challenges of testing HIV vaccine candidates in the context of the infant immune system given recent...
Observation | Therapeutics and PreventionIdentification of Mutations in the mrdA Gene Encoding PBP2 That Reduce Carbapenem and Diazabicyclooctane Susceptibility of Escherichia coli Clinical Isolates with Mutations in ftsI (PBP3) and Which Carry blaNDM-1Emerging antibacterial resistance is a consequence of the continued use of our current antibacterial therapies, and it is limiting their utility, especially for infections caused by multidrug-resistant isolates. β-Lactams have enjoyed extensive clinical success, but their broad usage is linked to perhaps the most extensive and progressive example of resistance development for any antibacterial scaffold. In Gram-negative pathogens, this...