Phage-antibiotic combination is a superior treatment against Acinetobacter baumannii in a preclinical study.

Background: Clinical phage therapy is often delivered alongside antibiotics. However, the phenomenon of phage-antibiotic synergy has been mostly studied in vitro. Here, we assessed the in vivo bactericidal effect of a phage-antibiotic combination on Acinetobacter baumannii AB900 using phage øFG02, which binds to capsular polysaccharides and leads to antimicrobial resensitisation in vitro.

Colistin-phage combinations decrease antibiotic resistance in via changes in envelope architecture.

Multidrug-resistant bacterial infections are becoming increasingly common, with only few last-resort antibiotics such as colistin available for clinical therapy. An alternative therapeutic strategy gaining momentum is phage therapy, which has the advantage of not being affected by bacterial resistance to antibiotics. However, a major challenge in phage therapy is the rapid emergence of phage-resistant bacteria.

Bacteriophage-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii are resensitized to antimicrobials.

We characterized two bacteriophages, ΦFG02 and ΦCO01, against clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii and established that the bacterial capsule is the receptor for these phages. Phage-resistant mutants harboured loss-of-function mutations in genes responsible for capsule biosynthesis, resulting in capsule loss and disruption of phage adsorption. The phage-resistant strains were resensitized to human complement, beta-lactam antibiotics and alternative phages and exhibited diminished fitness in vivo.

Unlocking the next generation of phage therapy: the key is in the receptors.

Phage therapy, the clinical use of viruses that kill bacteria, is a promising strategy in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. Before administration, phages undergo a careful examination of their safety and interactions with target bacteria. This characterization seldom includes identifying the receptor on the bacterial surface involved in phage adsorption.

Which Factors may reduce the Health-Related Quality of Life of Ecuadorian Patients with Diabetes?

Objective: To quantify the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in Ecuador and to determine its association, or lack thereof, with demographic and clinical variables, particularly with the comorbidities and complications of DM.

Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study with 325 patients attending regular care at a primary health care center in Quito, Ecuador. HRQoL was measured using the EuroQol 5-dimension 3-level (EQ-5D-3L) questionnaire.

Phage Therapy in the Postantibiotic Era.

Antibiotic resistance is arguably the biggest current threat to global health. An increasing number of infections are becoming harder or almost impossible to treat, carrying high morbidity, mortality, and financial cost. The therapeutic use of bacteriophages, viruses that infect and kill bacteria, is well suited to be part of the multidimensional strategies to combat antibiotic resistance.

[Mental Health Determines the Quality of Life in Patients With Cancer-Related Neuropathic Pain in Quito, Ecuador].

Objective: To identify the main factors determining the health related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with cancer-related neuropathic pain in a tertiary care hospital.

Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was performed on a sample of 237 patients meeting criteria for cancer-related neuropathic pain. Clinical and demographic variables were recorded including, cancer type, stage, time since diagnosis, pain intensity, physical functionality with the Palliative Performance Scale (PPS), and anxiety and depression with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).