Microneedle-mediated intradermal delivery of Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccines for single-dose tuberculosis vaccination.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a highly lethal infectious disease. The primary preventive measure is Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), a live attenuated vaccine. However, the current intradermal vaccination method with 10-dose vials faces challenges such as inadequate infant injection, inaccurate dispensing, and unstable storage.

Comparison of the Standard E TB-Feron ELISA and QuantiFERON-TB Gold PLUS assays: the advantageous use of whole recombinant protein antigens for latent tuberculosis diagnosis.

The laboratory diagnosis of latent tuberculosis is often performed using interferon-gamma release assays. Here, we compared two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based interferon-gamma release assays, namely, the newly developed Standard E TB-Feron enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (STFE) and the QuantiFERON-TB Gold PLUS assay (QFT-GP), using samples from 155 participants. The STFE is based on using whole EAST6 and CFP10 recombinant antigens for latent tuberculosis diagnosis.

Molecular Analysis of Anti-Tuberculosis Drug Resistance of Isolated in the Republic of Korea.

Rapid and accurate detection of tuberculosis (TB) drug resistance is critical for the successful treatment and control of TB. Here, we investigated resistance to anti-TB drugs and genetic variations in 215 drug-resistant isolates in Korea. Genetic variations were observed in Ser531Leu, Ser315Thr, and Asp94Gly; however, the minimum inhibitory concentrations varied, which can be attributed to other resistance mechanisms.

Polyimide Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharge for Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 Trapped in a Polypropylene Melt-Blown Filter.

Surface dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) was used to inactivate the infectious severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) trapped in a polypropylene (PP) melt-blown filter. We used a dielectric barrier made of polyimide films with hexagonal holes through which air flowed. In a cylindrical wind tunnel, the SDBD device supplied reactive oxygen species such as ozone to the SARS-CoV-2 trapped in the PP filter.

A comparison of phenotypic and WGS drug susceptibility testing in isolates from the Republic of Korea.

Background: WGS has significant potential to help tackle the major public health problem of TB. The Republic of Korea has the third highest rates of TB of all Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries but there has been very limited use of WGS in TB to date.

Objectives: A retrospective comparison of (MTB) clinical isolates from 2015 to 2017 from two centres in the Republic of Korea using WGS to compare phenotypic drug susceptibility testing (pDST) and WGS drug susceptibility predictions (WGS-DSP).

Transrenal DNA detection of in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.

Background: Multiple attempts have been made to use biological samples other than sputum to diagnose tuberculosis (TB). Sputum acid-fast bacillus (AFB) microscopy is the fastest, most straightforward, and most inexpensive method for diagnosing pulmonary TB. However, urine can be used in place of sputum owing to its various advantages, such as a noninvasive method of collection, convenient handling and storage, and minimal risk of infection in health-care workers involved in sample collection.

Treatment outcomes of multidrug-resistant TB with selective use of new drugs.

This was a nationwide cohort study. To assess the treatment outcomes in patients with multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) who underwent treatment guided by a national TB expert review committee in South Korea. We enrolled all patients with MDR-TB submitted for approval for the use of new TB drugs, including bedaquiline and delamanid, from 2016 to 2019.

Label-free affinity screening, design and synthesis of inhibitors targeting the Mycobacterium tuberculosis L-alanine dehydrogenase.

The ability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) to persist in its host may enable an evolutionary advantage for drug resistant variants to emerge. A potential strategy to prevent persistence and gain drug efficacy is to directly target the activity of enzymes that are crucial for persistence. We present a method for expedited discovery and structure-based design of lead compounds by targeting the hypoxia-associated enzyme L-alanine dehydrogenase (AlaDH).

The Utility of a real-time polymerase chain reaction kit for differentiating between and the Beijing familythe.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a severe public health challenge in Korea. Of all Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) strains, the Beijing genotype strain reportedly correlates with hypervirulence and drug resistance.

Flotillin-1 palmitoylation turnover by APT-1 and ZDHHC-19 promotes cervical cancer progression by suppressing IGF-1 receptor desensitization and proteostasis.

We have shown that insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) induces palmitoylation turnover of Flotillin-1 (Flot-1) in the plasma membrane (PM) for cell proliferation, after IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) signaling activation. However, the enzymes responsible for the turnover have not been identified. Herein, we show that acyl protein thioesterases-1 (APT-1) catalyzes Flot-1 depalmitoylation, and zinc finger DHHC domain-containing protein palmitoyltransferase-19 (ZDHHC-19) repalmitoylation of the depalmitoylated Flot-1 for the turnover in cervical cancer cells.

Evaluation of zone disinfection by air-passable plasma filter in a novel chamber model.

Background: Disinfection of shared spaces has become essential to minimize the spread of various diseases. An efficient disinfection device that can simultaneously inactivate airborne bacteria and surface-adhered bacteria in an enclosed space is required.

Aim: An air-passable plasma filter (APF) was developed and applied to a chamber model to evaluate the efficacy of zone disinfection.

Instant inactivation of aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 by dielectric filter discharge.

This study aimed to evaluate the instant inactivation effect of dielectric filter discharge (DFD) on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) aerosols. The filter consisted of one layer of ZrO2 beads covered by aluminum mesh electrodes; this porous structure of DFD part generates filter-type surface discharge and reactive oxygen species. In a closed cylindrical chamber, DFD treated air flow containing SARS-CoV-2 aerosols, primarily composed of particle diameters of ≤ 1 μm.

Susceptibility of β-Lactam Antibiotics and Genetic Mutation of Drug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Isolates in Korea.

Background: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is resistant to the β-lactam antibiotics due to a non-classical transpeptidase in the cell wall with β-lactamase activity. A recent study showed that meropenem combined with a β-lactamase inhibitor clavulanate, was effective in MDR and XDR tuberculosis (TB). However, clavulanate can only be used in drugs containing amoxicillin in Korea.

Low molecular weight chitooligosaccharide inhibits infection of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro.

Aims: The discovery of antiviral substances to respond to COVID-19 is a global issue, including the field of drug development based on natural materials. Here, we showed that chitosan-based substances have natural antiviral properties against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro.

Methods And Results: The molecular weight of chitosan-based substances was measured by the gel permeation chromatography analysis.

Investigation of Clofazimine Resistance and Genetic Mutations in Drug-Resistant Isolates.

Recently, as clofazimine (CFZ) showed a good therapeutic effect in treating multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), the anti-tuberculosis activity and resistance were re-focused. Here, we investigated the CFZ resistance and genetic mutations of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (DR-Mtb) isolates to improve the diagnosis and treatment of drug-resistant TB patients. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of CFZ was examined by resazurin microtiter assay (REMA) with two reference strains and 122 clinical isolates from Korea.

Validation and comparative analysis of kogene mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-variable number of tandem repeat typing kit and its application on clinically isolated samples from national tuberculosis hospital, Republic of Korea.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a serious public health burden in Korea. Mycobacterial Interspersed Repetitive Unit-Variable Number Tandem Repeat (MIRU-VNTR) is preferred for epidemiological TB investigation. Until recently, the difficulty lies in epidemiological TB investigation due to the absence of commercialized MIRU-VNTR in Korea.

Sustainable Antibacterial and Antiviral High-Performance Copper-Coated Filter Produced via Ion Beam Treatment.

With the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), disease prevention has become incredibly important. Consequently, mask and air-purifier use has increased. The filter is the core component of these items.

10-DEBC Hydrochloride as a Promising New Agent against Infection of .

() causes chronic pulmonary infections. Its resistance to current antimicrobial drugs makes it the most difficult non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) to treat with a treatment success rate of 45.6%.

Clinical Features of Adult COVID-19 Patients without Risk Factors before and after the Nationwide SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (Delta)-variant Outbreak in Korea: Experience from Gyeongsangnam-do.

Background: Data on severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) delta variant virulence are insufficient. We retrospectively compared the clinical features of adult coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients without risk factors for severe COVID-19 who entered residential treatment centers (RTCs) before and after the delta variant outbreak.

Methods: We collected medical information from two RTCs in South Korea.

Clomiphene Citrate Shows Effective and Sustained Antimicrobial Activity against .

() causes chronic pulmonary infections and is the most difficult non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) to treat due to its resistance to current antimicrobial drugs, with a treatment success rate of 45.6%. Thus, novel treatment drugs are needed, of which we identified the drug clomiphene citrate (CC), known to treat infertility in women, to exhibit inhibitory activity against .