[The CCM Project "Phenotypic and molecular screening methodologies for the detection of coloniza-tions due to carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE)"].

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CREs) are globally considered to be a major threat to public health. National and international guidelines emphasize the importance of routine active surveillance policies to prevent their transmission. Consequently, screening for the evaluation of the status of colonization by CREs in hospitalized patients in Italy is considered essential to contain and control the spread of these microorganisms and their evolution towards infection.

Treatment of Carbapenem-Resistant in Real Life (T-ACI): A Prospective Single-Center Observational Study.

Carbapenem-resistant (CRAB) poses significant challenges in healthcare due to its multidrug resistance and high mortality rates among critically ill patients. We enrolled 45 patients. Cefiderocol was administered to 40% of patients, often (38.

Antiseptics' Concentration, Combination, and Exposure Time on Bacterial and Fungal Biofilm Eradication.

Background: This study aims to assess the activity of solutions containing povidone-iodine (PI) and hydrogen peroxide (HO) alone or combined on the biofilm of microbial species in the contest of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI).

Methods: Different antiseptic solutions were tested on 2-day-old biofilms of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi at 1 and 3 minutes of exposure. The efficacy of these solutions was evaluated by measuring the biofilm metabolic activity by methoxynitrosulfophenyl-tetrazolium carboxanilide (XTT) reduction assay.

Antibacterial Metabolites Produced by an Endemic Plant of Lampedusa Island.

Lampedusa, the largest island of the Pelagie archipelago, Sicily, Italy, has proven to be a rich source of plants and shrubs used in folk medicine. These plants, often native to the island, have been very poorly investigated for their phytochemical composition and biological potential to be translated into pharmacological applications. To start achieving this purpose, a specimen of , a plant native to Lampedusa, was investigated for the first time.

Repurposing Selamectin as an Antimicrobial Drug against Hospital-Acquired Infections.

The emergence of multidrug-resistant strains requires the urgent discovery of new antibacterial drugs. In this context, an antibacterial screening of a subset of anthelmintic avermectins against gram-positive and gram-negative strains was performed. Selamectin completely inhibited bacterial growth at 6.

Invasive Fungal Infections in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19: A Non-Intensive Care Single-Centre Experience during the First Pandemic Waves.

Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) represent a severe complication of COVID-19, yet they are under-estimated. We conducted a retrospective analysis including all the COVID-19 patients admitted to the Infectious Diseases Unit of the Federico II University Hospital of Naples until the 1 July 2021. Among 409 patients, we reported seven cases of IFIs by Candida spp.

Unveiling the mechanism of action of acylated temporin L analogues against multidrug-resistant .

The increasing resistance of fungi to conventional antifungal drugs has prompted worldwide the search for new compounds. In this work, we investigated the antifungal properties of acylated Temporin L derivatives, and , against , including the multidrug-resistant strains. Acylated peptides resulted to be active both on reference and clinical strains with MIC values ranging from 6.

Cell Toxicity Study of Antiseptic Solutions Containing Povidone-Iodine and Hydrogen Peroxide.

The increasing incidence of periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) has led to a growing interest in developing strategies to prevent and treat this severe complication. The surgical site's application of antiseptic solutions to eliminate contaminating bacteria and eradicate the bacterial biofilm has been increasing over time. Even though it has been proven that combining antimicrobials could enhance their activities and help overcome acquired microbial resistance related to the topical use of antibiotics, the toxicity of integrated solutions is not well described.

Antibiotic and Nematocidal Metabolites from Two Lichen Species Collected on the Island of Lampedusa (Sicily).

The antibiotic and nematocidal activities of extracts from two coastal lichen species collected on Lampedusa Island (Sicily), Nyl. and Ach., were tested.

Niclosamide as a Repurposing Drug against Multidrug-Resistant Infections.

() is an emerging multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogen associated with nosocomial infections. In this scenario, we screened the antimicrobial activity of the anthelmintic drugs doramectin, moxidectin, selamectin and niclosamide against 20 MDR clinical isolates. Among these, niclosamide was the best performing drug against .

Rhein: A novel antibacterial compound against Streptococcus mutans infection.

Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) is considered the main causative agent of dental caries. The study aims to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of a natural plant product, pure 4,5''-dihydroxy-anthraquinone-2-carboxylic acid (Rhein) against S.

In Silico Identification of Novel Inhibitors Targeting the Homodimeric Interface of Superoxide Dismutase from the Dental Pathogen .

The microaerophile , the main microaerophile responsible for the development of dental plaque, has a single cambialistic superoxide dismutase (SOD) for its protection against reactive oxygen species. In order to discover novel inhibitors of SOD, possibly interfering with the biofilm formation by this pathogen, a virtual screening study was realised using the available 3D-structure of SOD. Among the selected molecules, compound was capable of inhibiting SOD with an IC value of 159 µM.

Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-Producing and Carbapenem-Resistant in Companion and Animal-Assisted Interventions Dogs.

Animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) are being implemented in many countries for the beneficial effects they have on humans. Patients involved in AAI are often individuals at greater risk of acquiring infections, and these activities involve close contact between humans and animals, as is the case with humans living with a pet. The spread of multidrug-resistant is a serious problem for human health; an integrated One Health strategy is imperative to combat this threat.

Antimicrobial Activity of a Lipidated Temporin L Analogue against Carbapenemase-Producing Clinical Isolates.

Over the years, the increasing acquisition of antibiotic resistance genes has led to the emergence of highly resistant bacterial strains and the loss of standard antibiotics' efficacy, including β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations and the last line carbapenems. is considered one of the major exponents of a group of multidrug-resistant ESKAPE pathogens responsible for serious healthcare-associated infections. In this study, we proved the antimicrobial activity of two analogues of Temporin L against twenty carbapenemase-producing clinical isolates.

Sesquiterpene Lactones from with Antibiotic Activity against Clinical Isolates of .

, belonging to the tribe Anthemideae, is a plant widespread in the Southern hemisphere. It is frequently used in folk medicine in North African countries for several of its medical properties, shown by its extracts and essential oils. The dichloromethane extract obtained from its aerial parts demonstrated antibiotic activity against and was fractionated by bioguided purification procedures affording five main sesquiterpene lactones.

Farnesane-Type Sesquiterpenoids with Antibiotic Activity from .

Brullo is an Asteraceae plant species endemic to Lampedusa island, the largest island of the Pelage archipelago, Italy. The organic extract of its whole aerial parts, showing antibiotic activity against and , wasfractionated employing bioguided purification procedures affording three main farnesane-type sesquiterpenoids. They were identified by spectroscopic methods (NMR and ESIMS data) as the ()-3,7,11-trimethyldodeca-1,6,10-triene-3,9-diol, ()-10-hydroxy-2,6,10-trimethyldodeca-2,6,11- trien-4-one and ()-10-hydroxy-2,6,10-trimethyl-dodeca-6,11-dien-4-one, commonly named 9-hydroxynerolidol, 9-oxonerolidol, and chiliadenol B, respectively.

Anti-Biofilm Activity of the Fungal Phytotoxin Sphaeropsidin A Against Clinical Isolates of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria.

Many pathogens involved in human infection have rapidly increased their antibiotic resistance, reducing the effectiveness of therapies in recent decades. Most of them can form biofilms and effective drugs are not available to treat these formations. Natural products could represent an efficient solution in discovering and developing new drugs to overcome antimicrobial resistance and treat biofilm-related infections.

Antifungal and anti-biofilm activity of the first cryptic antimicrobial peptide from an archaeal protein against Candida spp. clinical isolates.

Candida species cause cutaneous and systemic infections with a high mortality rate, especially in immunocompromised patients. The emergence of resistance to the most common antifungal drugs, also due to biofilm formation, requires the development of alternative antifungal agents. The antimicrobial peptide VLL-28, isolated from an archaeal transcription factor, shows comparable antifungal activity against 10 clinical isolates of Candida spp.

Bacterial biofilm formation is variably inhibited by different formulations of antibiotic-loaded bone cement in vitro.

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to quantitatively assess biofilm growth on the surface of bone cements discs containing different antibiotics, including colistin and linezolid. Biofilms of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus epidermidis were grown on bone cement discs for 96 h.

Methods: Biofilm amounts were measured by confocal laser microscopy using live/dead staining and dedicated software at different time intervals (48, 72, and 96 h).

In Vivo Biofilm Formation, Gram-Negative Infections and TAS2R38 Polymorphisms in CRSw NP Patients.

Objectives: Among the predisposing factors implicated in the immune response to airway bacterial infections, genetic variations of the bitter taste receptor TAS2R38, which is expressed in the cilia of the human sinonasal epithelial cells, seem to be associated with susceptibility to chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and in vitro biofilm formation. Polymorphisms in TAS2R38 generate two common haplotypes: the nonfunctional AVI (Alanine, Valine, Isoleucine) and the functional PAV (Proline, Alanine, Valine) alleles, with the latter protecting against gram-negative sinonasal infections. The aim of this study is to investigate for the first time the relevance of TAS2R38 genetic variants in the susceptibility to bacterial infections associated with in vivo biofilm formation in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) patients.

Insights into the anticancer properties of the first antimicrobial peptide from Archaea.

Background: The peptide VLL-28, identified in the sequence of an archaeal protein, the transcription factor Stf76 from Sulfolobus islandicus, was previously identified and characterized as an antimicrobial peptide, possessing a broad-spectrum antibacterial activity.

Methods: Through a combined approach of NMR and Circular Dichroism spectroscopy, Dynamic Light Scattering, confocal microscopy and cell viability assays, the interaction of VLL-28 with the membranes of both parental and malignant cell lines has been characterized and peptide mechanism of action has been studied.

Results: It is here demonstrated that VLL-28 selectively exerts cytotoxic activity against murine and human tumor cells.

Polyphenolic Profile and Targeted Bioactivity of Methanolic Extracts from Mediterranean Ethnomedicinal Plants on Human Cancer Cell Lines.

The methanol extracts of the aerial part of four ethnomedicinal plants of Mediterranean region, two non-seed vascular plants, Equisetum hyemale L. and Phyllitis scolopendrium (L.) Newman, and two Spermatophyta, Juniperus communis L.

Isolation of Enterobacter aerogenes carrying blaTEM-1 and blaKPC-3 genes recovered from a hospital Intensive Care Unit.

Enterobacter aerogenes has recently emerged as an important hospital pathogen. In this study, we showed the emergence of E. aerogenes isolates carrying the blaKPC gene in patients colonized by carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains.

Accurate identification of members of the Burkholderia cepacia complex in cystic fibrosis sputum.

Unlabelled: The Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC) is a group of closely related species which includes opportunistic pathogens causing chronic respiratory infections in immunocompromised patients, or individuals affected by cystic fibrosis (CF). Other Burkholderia species causing infection in the CF population are Burkholderia gladioli and Burkholderia pseudomallei. Traditional phenotypic analyses have been demonstrated to be inadequate for reliable identifications of isolates of BCC and B.