Therapeutics and Prevention
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...
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...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionIdentification of a Shared Cytochrome p4502E1 Epitope Found in Anesthetic Drug-Induced and Viral HepatitisDrug-induced hepatitis is the leading reason that an approved drug is removed from the commercial market. Halogenated anesthetics can induce hepatitis in susceptible persons, and cytochrome p4502E1 (CYP2E1) enzymes responsible for their metabolism induce antibodies in addition to hepatitis. CYP2E1 antibodies detected in anesthetic hepatitis patients have been detected in patients with viral hepatitis, suggesting that these different...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionA Computational Modeling Approach Predicts Interaction of the Antifungal Protein AFP from Aspergillus giganteus with Fungal Membranes via Its γ-Core MotifFungal pathogens pose a serious danger to human welfare since they kill more people per year than malaria or tuberculosis and are responsible for crop losses worldwide. The treatment of fungal infections is becoming more complicated as fungi develop resistances against commonly used fungicides. Therefore, discovery and development of novel antifungal agents are of utmost importance.
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionTRAIL (CD253) Sensitizes Human Airway Epithelial Cells to Toxin-Induced Cell DeathRicin toxin is a biothreat agent that is particularly damaging to lung tissue following inhalation. A hallmark of ricin exposure is widespread inflammation and concomitant destruction of the airway epithelium. In this study, we investigated the possible interaction between ricin and known proinflammatory cytokines associated with lung tissue. Using an established human airway epithelial cell line, we demonstrate that epithelial cell...
Observation | Therapeutics and PreventionMCR-1 Confers Cross-Resistance to Bacitracin, a Widely Used In-Feed AntibioticPolymyxins (e.g., colistin) are the drugs of last resort to treat multidrug-resistant infections in humans. To control mobile colistin resistance, there is a worldwide trend to limit colistin use in animal production. However, simply limiting colistin use in animal production may still not effectively mitigate colistin resistance due to an overlooked non-colistin usage factor(s). Using controlled systems, in this study, we observed that...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionDifferential Transmission of Antiviral Drug-Resistant Chikungunya Viruses by Aedes MosquitoesBecause of its global reemergence and unusual morbidities associated with infection, the chikungunya virus (CHIKV) has become a substantial public health problem. However, no antivirals are currently available to treat CHIKV infections. If antiviral drugs will prove to be efficient to treat CHIKV-infected patients, it will be essential to understand if drug-resistant viruses can be transmitted from one human to another by the mosquito....