Publications by authors named "J Diaz Mediavilla"

Because of the urgent need for new antibiotics to treat drug-resistant bacterial pathogens, we employed an assay that rapidly screens large quantities of compounds for their ability to interfere with bacterial protein synthesis, in particular, the delivery of amino acids to the ribosome via tRNA and elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu). We have identified a drug lead, named MGC-10, which kills Gram-positive bacteria, including methicillin-resistant (MRSA), with a MIC of 6 µM, while being harmless to mammalian cells in that concentration range. The antibacterial activity of MGC-10 was broad against over 50 strains of antibiotic-resistant samples obtained from hospital infections, where MGC-10 inhibited all tested strains of MRSA.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: The objective of this study is to assess the frequency of the novel sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO)-responsive phenotype, wherein clinical methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates are rendered susceptible to standard-of-care β-lactams in the presence of NaHCO, in a collection of 103 clinical U.S. MRSA skin and soft-tissue infection (SSTI) isolates and 22 clinical European SSTI isolates.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Staphylococcus aureus infection and colonization in patients may be transmitted to healthcare providers and the environment and subsequently cause healthcare-associated infections in other patients. Pathogenic S. aureus strains produce virulence factors, such as Panton-Valentine Leukocidin (PVL), that contribute to the severity of infections and aid in their spread.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Intensive lipid-lowering therapy may induce coronary atherosclerosis regression. Nevertheless, the factors underlying the effect of lipid-lowering therapy on disease regression remain poorly characterized. Our aim was to determine which characteristics of atherosclerotic plaque are associated with a greater reduction in coronary plaque burden (PB) after treatment with alirocumab in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

New Jersey was among the first states impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with one of the highest overall death rates in the nation. Nevertheless, relatively few reports have been published focusing specifically on New Jersey. Here we report on molecular, clinical, and epidemiologic observations, from the largest healthcare network in the state, in a cohort of vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF