The Toll-like receptor 4 agonist monophosphoryl lipid a augments innate host resistance to systemic bacterial infection.

Monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) is a Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) agonist that is currently used as a vaccine adjuvant in humans. In this study, we evaluated the effect of MPLA treatment on the innate immune response to systemic bacterial infections in mice. Mice treated with MPLA after burn injury showed improved survival and less local and systemic dissemination of bacteria in a model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa burn wound infection.

Antibacterial properties of common herbal remedies of the southwest.

Curanderismo, widely practiced in the southwest, is an alternative medical system that has been neglected by scientific research. This project analyzed the antibiotic properties of 23 common herbal remedies used in South Texas to treat wounds and infections. Ethanolic tinctures and aqueous extracts of each plant were prepared and applied to blank diffusion disks.