Therapeutics and Prevention
Editor's Pick Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionTranscriptome Assembly and Profiling of Candida auris Reveals Novel Insights into Biofilm-Mediated ResistanceFungal infections represent an important cause of human morbidity and mortality, particularly if the fungi adhere to and grow on both biological and inanimate surfaces as communities of cells (biofilms). Recently, a previously unrecognized yeast, Candida auris, has emerged globally that has led to widespread concern due to the difficulty in treating it with existing...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionAnti-HIV-1 Activity of Lactic Acid in Human Cervicovaginal FluidThe Lactobacillus-dominated vaginal microbiota is associated with a reduced risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Lactic acid is a major organic acid metabolite produced by lactobacilli that acidifies the vagina and has been reported to have inhibitory activity in vitro against bacterial, protozoan, and viral STIs, including HIV infections. However, the anti-HIV...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionDivergent Small Tim Homologues Are Associated with TbTim17 and Critical for the Biogenesis of TbTim17 Protein Complexes in Trypanosoma bruceiTrypanosoma brucei is the causative agent of African sleeping sickness. The parasite’s mitochondrion represents a useful source for potential chemotherapeutic targets. Similarly to yeast and humans, mitochondrial functions depend on the import of proteins that are encoded in the nucleus and made in the cytosol. Even though the machinery involved in this mitochondrial...
Resource Report | Therapeutics and PreventionDevelopment, Interlaboratory Evaluations, and Application of a Simple, High-Throughput Shigella Serum Bactericidal AssayShigella is an important cause of diarrhea worldwide, and efforts are ongoing to produce a safe and effective Shigella vaccine. Although a clear immune correlate of protection has not been established, antibodies with bactericidal capacity may provide one means of protecting against shigellosis. Thus, it is important to measure the functional capacity of antibodies, as opposed to only binding activity. This article...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionSublingual Adjuvant Delivery by a Live Attenuated Vibrio cholerae-Based Antigen Presentation PlatformDiarrheal disease is the most common infectious disease of children in the developing world. Our goal is to develop a diarrheal antigen presentation platform based on whole Vibrio cholerae cells that does not depend on protein purification. We have previously shown the feasibility of genetically fusing antigens to the...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionPeptide-Like Nylon-3 Polymers with Activity against Phylogenetically Diverse, Intrinsically Drug-Resistant Pathogenic FungiFungi reside in all ecosystems on earth and impart both positive and negative effects on human, plant, and animal health. Fungal disease is on the rise worldwide, and there is a critical need for more effective and less toxic antifungal agents. Nylon-3 polymers are short, sequence random, poly-β-amino acid materials that can be designed to manifest antimicrobial properties. Here, we describe three nylon-3 polymers with potent activity...
Minireview | Therapeutics and PreventionLactobacillus Mucosal Vaccine Vectors: Immune Responses against Bacterial and Viral AntigensLactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been utilized since the 1990s for therapeutic heterologous gene expression. The ability of LAB to elicit an immune response against expressed foreign antigens has led to their exploration as potential mucosal vaccine candidates.
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionAntibodies to the Glycoprotein GP2 Subunit Cross-React between Old and New World ArenavirusesSeveral viruses in the Arenaviridae family infect humans and cause severe hemorrhagic fevers which lead to high case fatality rates. Due to their pathogenicity and geographic tropisms, these viruses remain very understudied. As a result, an effective vaccine or therapy is urgently needed. Here, we describe efforts to produce cross-reactive monoclonal antibodies that bind to both New and Old World arenaviruses. All of our MAbs...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionInterlaboratory Comparison of the Pneumococcal Multiplex Opsonophagocytic Assays and Their Level of Agreement for Determination of Antibody Function in Pediatric SeraWhen measuring a functional antibody response to pneumococcal immunization, it is imperative that a specific, reproducible, accurate, and standardized assay with acceptable inter- and intra-assay variation be advocated internationally to allow for meaningful comparison of results between laboratories. We report here the results of a collaboration between 3 international laboratories testing 30 pediatric samples against the 13 serotypes...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionThe Heteroaryldihydropyrimidine Bay 38-7690 Induces Hepatitis B Virus Core Protein Aggregates Associated with Promyelocytic Leukemia Nuclear Bodies in Infected CellsDespite the availability of effective vaccines and treatments, HBV remains a significant global health concern, with more than 240 million individuals chronically infected. Current treatments are highly effective at controlling viral replication and disease progression but rarely cure infections. Therefore, much emphasis is being placed on finding therapeutics with new drug targets, such as viral gene expression, covalently closed...