Structural insight into recognition of Clostridioides difficile toxin A by novel neutralizing nanobodies targeting QTIN-like motifs within its receptor-binding domain.

Clostridioides difficile causes a large proportion of nosocomial colon infections by producing toxins TcdA and TcdB as key virulence factors. TcdA and TcdB have analogous domain structures with a receptor-binding domain containing C-terminal combined repetitive oligopeptides (CROPs), an attractive target for the development of therapeutic antibodies. Here, we identify and characterize two potent neutralizing single-domain camelid anti-CROPsA antibodies, C4.

Insights into the Rising Threat of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales and Epidemic Infections in Eastern Europe: A Systematic Literature Review.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance is a major global public health challenge, particularly with the rise of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) and (CRPA). This study aimed to describe the characteristics of CRE and CRPA infections in Eastern Europe, focusing on Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

Methods: Following MOOSE and PRISMA guidelines, a systematic literature review of articles published between 1 November 2017 and 1 November 2023 was conducted using the MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, CDSR, DARE, and CENTRAL databases.

Susceptibility of Gram-negative pathogens collected in Israel to ceftolozane/tazobactam, imipenem/relebactam and comparators: SMART 2018-22.

Objectives: To assess the antimicrobial activity of ceftolozane/tazobactam, imipenem/relebactam and comparator agents against clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacilli collected in Israel from 2018 to 2022.

Methods: Six clinical laboratories each collected up to 250 consecutive Gram-negative isolates per year from patients with bloodstream, intra-abdominal, lower respiratory tract and urinary tract infections. MICs were determined by CLSI broth microdilution and interpreted with 2024 EUCAST breakpoints.

Structural Basis for Evasion of New SARS-CoV-2 Variants from the Potent Virus-Neutralizing Nanobody Targeting the S-Protein Receptor-Binding Domain.

COVID-19 has caused millions of deaths and many times more infections worldwide, emphasizing the unpreparedness of the global health system in the face of new infections and the key role for vaccines and therapeutics, including virus-neutralizing antibodies, in prevention and containment of the disease. Continuous evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has been causing its new variants to evade the action of the immune system, which highlighted the importance of detailed knowledge of the epitopes of already selected potent virus-neutralizing antibodies. A single-chain antibody ("nanobody") targeting the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD), clone P2C5, had exhibited robust virus-neutralizing activity against all SARS-CoV-2 variants and, being a major component of the anti-COVID-19 formulation "GamCoviMab", had successfully passed Phase I of clinical trials.