An Antibacterial Nanorobotic Approach for the Specific Targeting and Removal of Multiple Drug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) causes diseases ranging from skin infections to lethal sepsis and has become a serious threat to human health due to multiple-drug resistance (MDR). Therefore, a resistance-free antibacterial therapy is necessary to overcome MDR MRSA infections. In this study, an antibacterial nanorobot (Ab-nanobot) is developed wherein a cell wall-binding domain (CBD)-endolysin, acting as a sensor, is covalently conjugated with an actuator consisting of an iron oxide/silica core-shell.

Genome-Wide Analysis of Sequence Type 72 Isolates Provides Insights Into Resistance Against Antimicrobial Agents and Virulence Potential.

sequence type 72 (ST72) is a major community-associated (CA) methicillin-resistant (MRSA) that has rapidly entered the hospital setting in Korea, causing mild superficial skin wounds to severe bloodstream infections. In this study, we sequenced and analyzed the genomes of one methicillin-resistant human isolate and one methicillin-sensitive human isolate of ST72 from Korea, K07-204 and K07-561, respectively. We used a subtractive genomics approach to compare these two isolates to other 27 ST72 isolates to investigate antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and virulence potential.

Draft Genome Sequences of Lysostaphin-Resistant (K07-204) and Lysostaphin-Susceptible (K07-561) Staphylococcus aureus Sequence Type 72 Strains Isolated from Patients in South Korea.

Methicillin-resistant sequence type 72 (ST72) is prevalent in South Korea and has shown resistance to multiple antimicrobials. ST72 isolates display different levels of resistance to the antistaphylococcal lysostaphin. Draft genome sequencing of ST72 human isolates exhibiting lysostaphin resistance or susceptibility was performed to better understand the mechanism of lysostaphin resistance using subtractive genomics.

Functional Identification of Serine Hydroxymethyltransferase as a Key Gene Involved in Lysostaphin Resistance and Virulence Potential of Strains.

Gaining an insight into the mechanism underlying antimicrobial-resistance development in is crucial for identifying effective antimicrobials. We isolated sequence type 72 from a patient in whom the infection was highly resistant to various antibiotics and lysostaphin, but no known resistance mechanisms could explain the mechanism of lysostaphin resistance. Genome-sequencing followed by subtractive and functional genomics revealed that serine hydroxymethyltransferase ( or gene) plays a key role in lysostaphin resistance.

Challenges for biosimilars: focus on rheumatoid arthritis.

Healthcare systems worldwide are struggling to find ways to fund the cost of innovative treatments such as gene therapies, regenerative medicine, and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). As the world's best known mAbs are close to facing patent expirations, the biosimilars market is poised to grow with the hope of bringing prices down for cancer treatment and autoimmune disorders, however, this has yet to be realized. The development costs of biosimilars are significantly higher than their generic equivalents due to therapeutic equivalence trials and higher manufacturing costs.

Alternative Enzyme Protection Assay To Overcome the Drawbacks of the Gentamicin Protection Assay for Measuring Entry and Intracellular Survival of Staphylococci.

Precise enumeration of living intracellular bacteria is the key step to estimate the invasion potential of pathogens and host immune responses to understand the mechanism and kinetics of bacterial pathogenesis. Therefore, quantitative assessment of host-pathogen interactions is essential for development of novel antibacterial therapeutics for infectious disease. The gentamicin protection assay (GPA) is the most widely used method for these estimations by counting the CFU of intracellular living pathogens.

Identification of 2',4'-Dihydroxychalcone as an Antivirulence Agent Targeting HlyU, a Master Virulence Regulator in .

The emergence of antimicrobial resistance and rapid acclimation allows to rapidly propagate in the host. This problematic pathological scenario can be circumvented by employing an antivirulence strategy, treating infections without hindering the bacterial growth. We developed a genome-integrated orthogonal inhibitor screening platform in to identify antivirulence agents targeting a master virulence regulator of .

Ectonucleotidase inhibitors: a patent review (2011-2016).

Ectonucleotidases are a broad family of metallo-ectoenzymes that are responsible for hydrolysing a variety of nucleotides to nucleosides, hence orchestrating the activation of P1 and P2 cell receptors via controlled release of nucleotides and nucleosides. Many disorders such as impaired calcification including aortic calcification, neurological and immunological disorders, platelet aggregation, cell proliferation and metastasis. are characterized by an increase in expression of these ectonucleotidases.

Thyroid Dysfunction in Non-Interferon Treated Hepatitis C Patients Residing in Hepatitis Endemic Area.

Background: Association of thyroid dysfunction (TD) with interferon treatment of HCV is well known to clinicians. However, a few studies have highlighted the role of hepatitis C virus per se in the development of TD. The aim of this study was to know the prevalence of TD in non-interferon treated HCV infected patients referred for thyroid function testing.