Therapeutics and Prevention
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionMultiple Mutations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis MmpL3 Increase Resistance to MmpL3 InhibitorsMycobacterium tuberculosis is a major global human pathogen, and new drugs and new drug targets are urgently required. Cell wall biosynthesis is a major target of current tuberculosis drugs and of new agents under development. Several new classes of molecules appear to have the same target, MmpL3, which is involved in the export and synthesis of the mycobacterial cell...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionAntimicrobial Peptide Exposure Selects for Resistant and Fit Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Mutants That Show Cross-Resistance to AntibioticsStenotrophomonas maltophilia is an increasingly relevant multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterium found, for example, in people with cystic fibrosis and associated with other respiratory infections and underlying pathologies. The infections caused by this nosocomial pathogen are difficult to treat due to the intrinsic resistance of this bacterium against a broad number of...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionEstablishment of a Controlled Human Infection Model with a Lyophilized Strain of Shigella sonnei 53GControlled human infection models (CHIMs) are invaluable tools utilized to understand the human response to infection, potentially leading to protective immune mechanisms and allowing efficacy testing of enteric countermeasures, including vaccines, antibiotics, and other products. The development of an improved Shigella CHIM for both Shigella sonnei and...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionGenomic Characterization of Invasive Meningococcal Serogroup B Isolates and Estimation of 4CMenB Vaccine Coverage in Finland4CMenB is a 4-component vaccine used against invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B (MenB). We investigated the genetic variability of MenB in Finland and evaluated 4CMenB strain coverage by 2 different methods: MATS (meningococcal antigen typing system) and gMATS (genetic MATS). In a set of MenB isolates, 78% (MATS) and 86...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionOxalate-Degrading Bacillus subtilis Mitigates Urolithiasis in a Drosophila melanogaster ModelKidney stone disease is a morbid condition that is increasing in prevalence, with few nonsurgical treatment options. The majority of stones are composed of calcium oxalate. Unlike humans, some microbes can break down oxalate, suggesting that microbial therapeutics may provide a novel treatment for kidney stone patients. This study demonstrated that Bacillus subtilis...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionEvolution of Early SARS-CoV-2 and Cross-Coronavirus ImmunityA critical step to ending the spread of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the ability to detect, diagnose, and understand why some individuals develop mild and others develop severe disease. For example, defining the early evolutionary patterns of humoral immunity to SARS-CoV-2, and whether prevalent coronaviruses or other common infections influence the evolution of immunity, remains poorly...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionIdentification of Simplified Microbial Communities That Inhibit Clostridioides difficile Infection through Dilution/ExtinctionClostridioides difficile is the leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and a significant health care burden. Fecal microbiota transplantation is highly effective at treating recurrent C. difficile disease; however, uncertainties about the undefined composition of fecal material and...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionThe Challenges of Using Oropharyngeal Samples To Measure Pneumococcal Carriage in AdultsStreptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) is a significant global pathogen. Accurate identification and serotyping are vital. In contrast with World Health Organization recommendations based on culture methods, we demonstrate that pneumococcal identification and serotyping with molecular methods are affected by sample type. Results from oropharyngeal samples from...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionComparative Study of Protection against Newcastle Disease in Young Broilers Administered Natural Chicken Alpha Interferon via Oral and Intramuscular RoutesNewcastle disease (ND) is an economically important contagious disease of wild and domestic birds worldwide. The disease causes severe economic losses in terms of production due to high mortality and morbidity in nonvaccinated chickens. Despite extensive vaccination approaches, Newcastle disease (ND) remains a permanent threat to the poultry industry worldwide. In the current study, we used natural chicken IFN-α as an innate immune...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionAntimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy with Chlorin e6 Is Bactericidal against Biofilms of the Primary Human OtopathogensOtitis media (OM), or middle ear disease, is the most prevalent bacterial infection in children and the primary reason for antibiotic use and surgical intervention in the pediatric population. Biofilm formation by the major bacterial otopathogens, Moraxella catarrhalis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and...