Therapeutics and Prevention
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionA Novel Biomimetic Nanosponge Protects the Retina from the Enterococcus faecalis CytolysinEndophthalmitis is a serious, potentially blinding infection that can result in vision loss, leaving a patient with only the ability to count fingers, or it may require enucleation of the globe. The incidence of postoperative endophthalmitis has markedly increased over the past 2 decades, paralleling the rise in ocular surgeries and intravitreal therapies. E. faecalis...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionInhibition of Retrograde Transport Limits Polyomavirus Infection In VivoPyVs can cause significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised individuals. No clinically efficacious anti-PyV therapeutic agents are available. A recently identified inhibitor of retrograde transport, Retro-2cycl, blocks movement of PyV virion-containing vesicles from early endosomes to the endoplasmic reticulum, an early step in the PyV life cycle. Retro-2cycl and its derivatives have been shown to...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionImaging the Antistaphylococcal Activity of CATH-2: Mechanism of Attack and Regulation of Inflammatory ResponseDue to the high use of antibiotics in both human and veterinary settings, many bacteria have become resistant to those antibiotics that we so heavily rely on. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is one of these difficult-to-treat resistant pathogens for which novel antimicrobial therapies will be required in the near future. One novel approach could be the...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionEssential Assembly Factor Rpf2 Forms Novel Interactions within the 5S RNP in Trypanosoma bruceiTrypanosoma brucei is the parasitic protozoan that causes African sleeping sickness. Ribosome assembly is essential for the survival of this parasite through the different host environments it encounters during its life cycle. The assembly of the 5S ribonucleoprotein particle (5S RNP) functions as one of the regulatory checkpoints during ribosome biogenesis. We have...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionSynergistic Activity between Two Antifungal Proteins, the Plant Defensin NaD1 and the Bovine Pancreatic Trypsin InhibitorThis work describes the increased activity of a natural antifungal peptide in the presence of another antifungal peptide from a different family. This is termed antifungal synergy. Synergy is important for decreasing the amount of antifungal molecule needed to control the disease. Traditionally, naturally occurring antifungal molecules are assayed in isolation. Identification of synergistic interactions between antifungal peptides means...
Perspective | Therapeutics and PreventionA New Take on an Old Remedy: Generating Antibodies against Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria in a Postantibiotic WorldWith the problem of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens becoming increasingly dire, new strategies are needed to protect and treat infected patients. Though abandoned in the past, monoclonal antibody therapy against Gram-negative bacteria remains a potential solution and has potential advantages over the broad-spectrum antibiotics they were once replaced by.
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionThe Biofilm Inhibitor Carolacton Enters Gram-Negative Cells: Studies Using a TolC-Deficient Strain of Escherichia coliThe emergence of pathogens resistant against most or all of the antibiotics currently used in human therapy is a global threat, and therefore the search for antimicrobials with novel targets and modes of action is of utmost importance. The myxobacterial secondary metabolite carolacton had previously been shown to inhibit biofilm formation and growth of streptococci. Here, we investigated if carolacton could act against Gram-negative...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionThe Potential Therapeutic Agent Mepacrine Protects Caco-2 Cells against Clostridium perfringens Enterotoxin ActionClostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) causes the gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms of a common bacterial food poisoning and several nonfoodborne human GI diseases. A previous study showed that, via an undetermined mechanism, the presence of mepacrine blocks CPE-induced electrophysiologic activity in artificial membranes. The current study now demonstrates that...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionGenetic Validation of Leishmania donovani Lysyl-tRNA Synthetase Shows that It Is Indispensable for Parasite Growth and InfectivityAminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are housekeeping enzymes essential for protein translation, providing charged tRNAs for the proper construction of peptide chains. These enzymes provide raw materials for protein translation and also ensure fidelity of translation. L. donovani is a protozoan parasite that causes visceral leishmaniasis. It is a continuously proliferating parasite that depends heavily on efficient protein translation....
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionAn Aptamer-Based Biosensor for the Azole Class of Antifungal DrugsWe have developed the first aptamer directed toward the azole class of antifungal drugs and a functional biosensor for these drugs. This aptamer has a unique secondary structure that allows it to bind to highly hydrophobic drugs. The aptamer works as a capture component of a graphene field effect transistor device. These devices can provide a quick and easy assay for determining drug concentrations. These will be useful for therapeutic...