Publications by authors named "Hanaki H"

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and influenza A virus are primarily transmitted through droplets or aerosols from patients. The inactivation effects of existing virus control techniques may vary depending on the environmental factors. Therefore, it is important to establish a suitable evaluation system for assessing virus control techniques against airborne viruses for further real-world implementation.

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COVID-19, an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, was declared a pandemic by the WHO in 2020. Psychiatric symptoms including sleep disturbance, memory impairment, and depression are associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. These symptoms are causes long-term mental and physical distress in recovering patients; however, the underlying mechanism is unclear.

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  • Patients with COVID-19 often suffer from acute kidney injury, linked to disease severity, which involves loss of a protein called megalin in kidney cells that affects vitamin D metabolism.
  • A study using mice infected with SARS-CoV-2 showed reduced levels of megalin, indicating kidney damage, along with changes in vitamin D-related gene expression.
  • Despite similar serum vitamin D levels between infected and non-infected mice, the loss of megalin may alter how vitamin D affects immune responses in the kidneys during infection.
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Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), remains a global public health threat. Although several effective vaccines and therapeutics have been developed, continuous emergence of new variants necessitates development of drugs with different mechanisms of action. Recent studies indicate that cepharanthine, a chemical derivative purified from Stephania cepharantha, inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro.

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We envisioned that the rumen of Kitasato Yakumo beef cattle would contain unique microorganisms which produce bioactive compounds as their defense response to the external environment. The variety of microorganisms were collected from the feces of Kitasato Yakumo beef cattle. We evaluated the biological activity of the culture broth of the isolated strains, proving the utility of our approach.

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The aim of this study was to analyze the population pharmacokinetics of total and unbound concentrations of prophylactic cefazolin (CFZ) in patients with prostatectomy or nephrectomy. We also aimed to calculate a pharmacodynamics target unbound concentration that exceeded the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), to design an effective dosing regimen. Briefly, 614 total concentration and 610 unbound concentration samples from 152 individuals were evaluated, using a nonlinear mixed-effects model.

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KSP-1007 is a novel bicyclic boronate-based broad-spectrum β-lactamase inhibitor and is being developed in combination with meropenem (MEM) for the treatment of infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, a global health concern, and here, we describe its characteristics. KSP-1007 exhibited low apparent inhibition constant ( ) values against all classes of β-lactamase, including imipenemase types and oxacillinase types from . Against 207 and 55 .

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Actinomycetes are prolific producers of natural products, particularly antibiotics. However, a significant proportion of its biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) remain silent under typical laboratory conditions. This limits the effectiveness of conventional isolation methods for the discovery of novel natural products.

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Anti-microbial resistance (AMR) is one of the greatest threats to global health. The continual battle between the emergence of AMR and the development of drugs will be extremely difficult to stop as long as traditional anti-biotic approaches are taken. In order to overcome this impasse, we here focused on the type III secretion system (T3SS), which is highly conserved in many Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria.

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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious viral disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that emerged at the end of 2019. SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted through droplets, aerosols, and fomites. Disinfectants such as alcohol, quaternary ammonium salts, and chlorine-releasing agents, including hypochlorous acid, are used to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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  • Hand hygiene is essential for controlling COVID-19, but the extent of SARS-CoV-2 contamination on the hands of healthy individuals was unclear, prompting this study aimed at evaluating contamination levels.
  • Researchers collected swab samples from 925 healthy participants, including various professionals and students, and analyzed them for viral RNA using RT-qPCR.
  • The findings revealed that SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in only 0.32% of samples, with no viable viruses found, indicating that the risk of transmission through hand contact in everyday settings is very low.
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  • * Research has shown that the drug 5-O-mycaminosyltylonolide (OMT) can effectively combat P. aeruginosa when used alongside the efflux pump inhibitor phenylalanine-arginine beta-naphthylamide (PAβN).
  • * The study involved creating a new PAβN derivative to enhance the effectiveness of OMT against multidrug-resistant clinical strains of P. aeruginosa.
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  • Researchers studied the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the homes of COVID-19 patients to understand how the virus spreads within families.
  • They collected samples from various surfaces over a week, conducting tests to identify both viral RNA and viable viruses.
  • While they found traces of SARS-CoV-2 RNA on surfaces like pillows and doorknobs, no live viruses were detected, indicating a low risk of transmission from contaminated surfaces.
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A new antifungal compound, named N-demethyltyroscherin (1), was discovered from the static fungal cultured material of Scedosporium apiospermum FKJ-0499 isolated from a deep-sea sediment sample together with a known compound, tyroscherin (2). The structure of 1 was elucidated as a new analog of 2 by MS and NMR analyses. The absolute configuration of 1 was determined by chemical derivatization.

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We discovered a new tetronomycin analog, C-32-OH tetronomycin (2) from the Streptomyces sp. K20-0247 strain, which produces tetronomycin (1). After NMR analysis of 2, we determined the planar structure.

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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) causes a global health threat and enormous damage for humans. Among them, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) resistant to first-line therapeutic β-lactam drugs such as meropenem (MEPM) is problematic. Therefore, we focus on combination drug therapy and have been seeking new potentiators of MEPM to combat MRSA.

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  • The study aimed to determine the presence of viable SARS-CoV-2 versus just its RNA in hospital environments to improve infection control for COVID-19.* -
  • Researchers collected samples from various surfaces and patient saliva over the course of treatment, finding that while viral RNA was common, viable virus was rare and mostly found in sinks.* -
  • The findings indicate that the risk of contracting COVID-19 from surfaces in hospital rooms is very low, as viable virus was only detected in a small fraction of samples.*
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  • A new filamentous fungus, Synnemellisia sp. strain FKR-0921, was found in soil from Kume Island, Okinawa, leading to the discovery of a new compound, synnemellisitriol A (1), from its MeOH extract cultured on rice medium.
  • The structure and absolute configuration of synnemellisitriol A were determined using advanced spectroscopic techniques and the modified Mosher's method.
  • The compound was also tested for various biological activities, showing potential in inhibiting metallo-β-lactamase, type III secretion systems, as well as exhibiting antimicrobial, antimalarial, and cytotoxic effects.
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Objective: Adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung is a characteristic tumor that has both adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma components. Adenosquamous carcinoma is reported to have an aggressive clinical course, but its clinicopathological features and prognosis are unclear in the early stage.

Methods: Patients who underwent surgical resection for pathological stage I non-small cell lung cancer between April 2009 and December 2014 were retrospectively reviewed.

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Neisseria gonorrhoeae is one of the important pathogens of sexually transmitted infections. N. gonorrhoeae is rapidly becoming antimicrobial resistant, and there are few drugs that are effective in the initial treatment of gonorrhea.

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  • This study investigated risk factors for severe COVID-19 and their association with medication use among over 171,000 patients in the U.S., using health record data from early 2020 to late 2021.
  • Key risk factors for hospitalization included being older than 65, male, and having conditions like type 2 diabetes and hypertension, while hyperlipidemia reduced risk unless statins weren’t used.
  • Certain medications, such as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and statins, were found to lower the risk of hospitalization and critical care for COVID-19 patients.
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  • Luminamicin, a macrodiolide compound isolated in 1985, shows strong antibacterial effects against anaerobic bacteria, particularly those resistant to fidaxomicin.
  • The study discovered that luminamicin is a potent narrow-spectrum antibiotic and that its mode of action is different from fidaxomicin, as mutations were found in other proteins but not in RNA polymerase.
  • Researchers also synthesized variants of luminamicin to explore how different structural features impact its antibacterial effectiveness, highlighting the importance of certain chemical groups in maintaining this activity.
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Six aromatic secondary metabolites, pestalone (1), emodin (2), phomopsilactone (3), pestalachlorides B (4), C (5), and D (6), were isolated from Pestalotiopsis sp. FKR-0115, a filamentous fungus collected from white moulds growing on dead branches in Minami Daito Island. The efficacy of these secondary metabolites against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with and without meropenem (β-lactam antibiotic) was evaluated using the paper disc method and broth microdilution method.

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The emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistant pathogens continue to threaten our ability to combat several infections. Among them, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) poses a major threat to human health.

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COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection, is currently among the most important public health concerns worldwide. Although several effective vaccines have been developed, there is an urgent clinical need for effective pharmaceutical treatments for treatment of COVID-19. Ivermectin, a chemical derivative of avermectin produced by Streptomyces avermitilis, is a macrocyclic lactone with antiparasitic activity.

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