Therapeutics and Prevention
Editor's Pick Commentary | Therapeutics and PreventionA Holistic Assessment of the Risks and Benefits of the Synthesis of Horsepox VirusThe re-creation of horsepox virus, an extinct orthopoxvirus with similarity to smallpox virus, has caused concerns in the biosecurity and biodefense communities that the technical capabilities achieved could advance the re-creation of smallpox virus by nefarious actors. The work is now published.
Editor's Pick Commentary | Therapeutics and PreventionA Critical Analysis of the Scientific and Commercial Rationales for the De Novo Synthesis of Horsepox VirusThis article evaluates the scientific and commercial rationales for the synthesis of horsepox virus. I find that the claimed benefits of using horsepox virus as a smallpox vaccine rest on a weak scientific foundation and an even weaker business case that this project will lead to a licensed medical countermeasure.
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionJjj1 Is a Negative Regulator of Pdr1-Mediated Fluconazole Resistance in Candida glabrataCandida glabrata is the second most common species of Candida recovered from patients with invasive candidiasis. The increasing number of infections due to C. glabrata, combined with its high rates of resistance to the commonly used, well-tolerated azole class of antifungal agents, has...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionTick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Vaccine-Induced Human Antibodies Mediate Negligible Enhancement of Zika Virus Infection In Vitro and in a Mouse ModelThe relationship between serial infections of two different serotypes of dengue virus and more severe disease courses is well-documented in the literature, driven by so-called antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE). Recently, studies have shown the possibility of ADE in cells exposed to anti-DENV human plasma and then infected with ZIKV and also in mouse models of ZIKV pathogenesis after passive transfer of anti-DENV human plasma. In this...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionIntravaginal Administration of Interleukin 12 during Genital Gonococcal Infection in Mice Induces Immunity to Heterologous Strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeaeGenital infection with Neisseria gonorrhoeae (gonorrhea) is a significant cause of reproductive tract morbidity in women, leading to pelvic inflammatory disease, tubal factor infertility, and increased risk for ectopic pregnancy. WHO estimates that 78 million new infections occur annually worldwide. In the United States, >350,000 cases are reported annually, but...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionAn Optimized Synthetic-Bioinformatic Natural Product Antibiotic Sterilizes Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii-Infected WoundsNatural product-inspired antibiotics have saved millions of lives and played a critical role in modern medicine. However, the emergence of drug-resistant pathogens is outpacing the rate at which new clinically useful antibiotics are being discovered. The lack of a means to combat infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii is of particular...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionTargeted Phenotypic Screening in Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii Reveals Novel Modes of Action of Medicines for Malaria Venture Malaria Box MoleculesThe phylum Apicomplexa includes many human and animal pathogens, such as Plasmodium falciparum (human malaria) and Toxoplasma gondii (human and animal toxoplasmosis). Widespread resistance to current antimalarials and the lack of a commercial vaccine necessitate novel pharmacological...
Minireview | Therapeutics and PreventionTargeting Virulence in Staphylococcus aureus by Chemical Inhibition of the Accessory Gene Regulator System In VivoMethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) presents one of the most serious health concerns worldwide. The WHO labeled it as a “high-priority” pathogen in 2017, also citing the more recently emerged vancomycin-intermediate and -resistant strains.
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionRecombinant Zika Virus Subunits Are Immunogenic and Efficacious in MiceThe recent outbreaks of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in French Polynesia, the Caribbean, and the Americas have highlighted the severe neuropathological sequelae that such an infection may cause. The development of a safe, effective ZIKV vaccine is critical for several reasons: (i) the difficulty in diagnosing an active infection due to common nonspecific symptoms, (ii) the lack of a specific antiviral therapy, and (iii) the potentially...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionMaternal HIV-1 Env Vaccination for Systemic and Breast Milk Immunity To Prevent Oral SHIV Acquisition in Infant MacaquesWithout novel strategies to prevent mother-to-child HIV-1 transmission, more than 5% of HIV-1-exposed infants will continue to acquire HIV-1, most through breastfeeding. This study of rhesus macaque dam-and-infant pairs is the first preclinical study to investigate the protective role of transplacentally transferred HIV-1 vaccine-elicited antibodies and HIV-1 vaccine-elicited breast milk antibody responses in infant oral virus...