Engineered antibodies targeted to bacterial surface integrate effector functions with toxin neutralization to provide superior efficacy against bacterial infections.

Anti-bacterial monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapies either rely on toxin neutralization or opsonophagocytic killing (OPK). Toxin neutralization protects the host from toxin-induced damage, while leaving the organism intact. OPK inducing antibodies clear the bacteria but leave the released toxins unencountered.

Dry and liquid formulations of IBT-V02, a novel multi-component toxoid vaccine, are effective against isolates from low-to-middle income countries.

is the leading cause of skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) in the U.S. as well as more serious invasive diseases, including bacteremia, sepsis, endocarditis, surgical site infections, osteomyelitis, and pneumonia.

Evidence of Neutralizing and Non-Neutralizing Anti-Glucosaminidase Antibodies in Patients With Osteomyelitis and Their Association With Clinical Outcome Following Surgery in a Clinical Pilot.

osteomyelitis remains a very challenging condition; recent clinical studies have shown infection control rates following surgery/antibiotics to be ~60%. Additionally, prior efforts to produce an effective vaccine have failed, in part due to lack of knowledge of protective immunity. Previously, we demonstrated that anti-glucosaminidase (Gmd) antibodies are protective in animal models but found that only 6.

Arsenic disturbs the gut microbiome of individuals in a disadvantaged community in Nepal.

Arsenic is ubiquitous in nature, highly toxic, and is particularly abundant in Southern Asia. While many studies have focused on areas like Bangladesh and West Bengal, India, disadvantaged regions within Nepal have also suffered from arsenic contamination levels, with wells and other water sources possessing arsenic contamination over the recommended WHO and EPA limit of 10 μg/L, some wells reporting levels as high as 500 μg/L. Despite the region's pronounced arsenic concentrations within community water sources, few investigations have been conducted to understand the impact of arsenic contamination on host gut microbiota health.

Ammonia generation by tryptophan synthase drives a key genetic difference between genital and ocular isolates.

A striking difference between genital and ocular clinical isolates of is that only the former express a functional tryptophan synthase and therefore can synthesize tryptophan by indole salvage. Ocular isolates uniformly cannot use indole due to inactivating mutations within tryptophan synthase, indicating a selection against maintaining this enzyme in the ocular environment. Here, we demonstrate that this selection occurs in two steps.

Chlamydia trachomatis-infected cells and uninfected-bystander cells exhibit diametrically opposed responses to interferon gamma.

The intracellular bacterial pathogen, Chlamydia trachomatis, is a tryptophan auxotroph. Therefore, induction of the host tryptophan catabolizing enzyme, indoleamine-2,3-dioxgenase-1 (IDO1), by interferon gamma (IFNγ) is one of the primary protective responses against chlamydial infection. However, despite the presence of a robust IFNγ response, active and replicating C.

Association between screen time and depression among US adults.

Epidemiological surveys conducted in general populations have found that the prevalence of depression is about 9% in the United States. World Health Organization has projected that depression will be leading cause of disease burden by the year 2030. Growing evidence suggests that sedentary lifestyle is an important risk factor of depression among adults.

Cell Intrinsic Factors Modulate the Effects of IFNγ on the Development of .

is an obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen that cannot synthesize several amino acids, including tryptophan. Rather, acquires these essential metabolites from its human host cell. Chlamydial dependence on host-provided tryptophan underlies a major host defense mechanism against the bacterium; namely, the induction of the host tryptophan-catabolizing enzyme, indoleamine 2,3- dioxygenase (IDO1) by interferon gamma (IFNγ), which leads to eradication of by tryptophan starvation.

The High-Risk Human Papillomavirus E6 Oncogene Exacerbates the Negative Effect of Tryptophan Starvation on the Development of Chlamydia trachomatis.

Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular pathogen that requires specific essential nutrients from the host cell, one of which is the amino acid tryptophan. In this context interferon gamma (IFNγ) is the major host protective cytokine against chlamydial infections because it induces the expression of the host enzyme, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1, that degrades tryptophan, thereby restricting bacterial replication. The mechanism by which IFNγ acts has been dissected in vitro using epithelial cell-lines such as HeLa, HEp-2, or the primary-like endocervical cell-line A2EN.

Influence of the tryptophan-indole-IFNγ axis on human genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection: role of vaginal co-infections.

The natural history of genital Chlamydia trachomatis infections can vary widely; infections can spontaneously resolve but can also last from months to years, potentially progressing to cause significant pathology. The host and bacterial factors underlying this wide variation are not completely understood, but emphasize the bacterium's capacity to evade/adapt to the genital immune response, and/or exploit local environmental conditions to survive this immune response. IFNγ is considered to be a primary host protective cytokine against endocervical C.

Dengue in western Terai region of Nepal.

Background: Dengue Fever (DF) is an emerging mosquito-borne disease. It is a nagging public health problem in the low lands of Terai, expanding to new areas of Nepal in recent years.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine anti-Dengue IgM positive rate in Mahendranagar, Dhangadi and Dang between August 2008 and November 2009.

Prognostic value of rapid test for diagnosis of dengue in Nepalese patients during 2010 epidemic.

Background: Dengue is an emerging vector borne disease in Nepal and rapid diagnostic test is important for early diagnosis of the disease.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of commonly used rapid immunochromatographic test kit in Nepal during 2010 dengue epidemic and to assess disease burden of dengue.

Methods: A total of 131 acute and nonacute serum samples were collected during recent epidemic of dengue in 2010 from clinically suspected Nepalese patients of different hospitals.

Nutritional status of people living in Dzong village, in the northern mountainous area of Nepal.

A nutritional survey was carried out among residents (39 males and 46 females) of Dzong village in the northern area of the Gandaki region of Nepal. The results were compared with our previous findings. The mean body mass index value was under 21 for both sexes, but the mean percentage of body fat of females (17-19 years old, 25.

Food consumption and serum nutritional status of people living in the Kathmandu valley in Nepal.

Objective: The food consumption and serum nutritional status of people living in the Kathmandu valley, Nepal, were examined to obtain actual data for comparison with our previous findings.

Methods: A dietary survey of 45 males and 60 females was carried out in March 1997 by the 24-hr dietary recall method and nutrient intake was calculated from food tables of India and Japan. Fasting venous blood samples were obtained and serum biochemical parameters were measured using clinical kits.

Study of Cyclospora cayetanensis in health care facilities, sewage water and green leafy vegetables in Nepal.

Cyclospora cayetanensis, a newly emerging parasite, is endemic in Nepal. A total of 2,123 stool specimens were collected from 3 health care facilities based on clinical symptoms during the period between 1995 to October, 1998. Out of these specimens, cayetanensis oocysts were found in 632 (29.

The suspected existence of Schistosoma mansoni in Dhanusha district, southern Nepal.

Eggs resembling those of Schistosoma mansoni have been observed in human stools collected from the inhabitants of Dhanusha district, in southern Nepal. In an attempt to determine if S. mansoni was present, 518 sera collected from subjects from four sites in this district were checked for antibodies to this parasite, in July 1996 and May 1997, using ELISA.