Phytotherapy as an alternative to conventional antimicrobials: combating microbial resistance.

In the modern antimicrobial era, the rapid spread of resistance to antibiotics and introduction of new and mutating viruses is a global concern. Combating antimicrobial resistant microbes (AMR) requires coordinated international efforts that incorporate new conventional antibiotic development as well as development of alternative drugs with antimicrobial activity, management of existing antimicrobials, and rapid detection of AMR pathogens. Areas covered: This manuscript discusses some conventional strategies to control microbial resistance.

Herbal Medicines: challenges in the modern world. Part 5. status and current directions of complementary and alternative herbal medicine worldwide.

Herbal medicine (HM) use is growing worldwide. Single herb preparations, ethnic and modern HM formulations are widely used as adjunct therapies or to improve consumer wellbeing. Areas covered: This final part in the publication series summarizes common tendencies in HM use as adjunct or alternative medicine, education of healthcare professionals and consumers, current and proposed guidelines regulating of production.

Herbal medicines: challenges in the modern world. Part 4. Canada and United States.

Similar to other nations North American people used herbs for thousands of years to treat diseases and purify their spirits. By the middle of the 1900s, evidence-based conventional medicine received wide acceptance in Canada and the United States (US). Nowadays, people are going back to their roots and actively using herbal medicines (HMs) and natural health products (NHPs).

Pharmacokinetic considerations in the use of antivirals in neonates.

Introduction: Neonatal patients, because of the inability of their immune system to properly respond to microbial challenge, are highly susceptible to viral infections. Immunoglobulins, monoclonal antibody and antiviral drugs are used for prophylaxis and treatment of viral diseases in neonates. Neonates and, especially, preterm infants differ in drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion from adults and older children.

TLR-induced local metabolism of vitamin D3 plays an important role in the diversification of adaptive immune responses.

The addition of monophosphoryl lipid A, a minimally toxic derivative of LPS, to nonmucosally administered vaccines induced both systemic and mucosal immune responses to coadministered Ags. This was dependent on an up-regulated expression of 1alpha-hydroxylase (CYP27B1, 1alphaOHase), the enzyme that converts 25-hydroxycholecalciferol, a circulating inactive metabolite of vitamin D(3), into 1,25(OH)2D(3) (calcitriol). In response to locally produced calcitriol, myeloid dendritic cells (DCs) migrated from cutaneous vaccination sites into multiple secondary lymphoid organs, including classical inductive sites of mucosal immunity, where they effectively stimulated B and T cell immune responses.