scholarly journals Avibactam Restores the Susceptibility of Clinical Isolates of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia to Aztreonam

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria F. Mojica ◽  
Krisztina M. Papp-Wallace ◽  
Magdalena A. Taracila ◽  
Melissa D. Barnes ◽  
Joseph D. Rutter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stenotrophomonas Maltophilia ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
World Health ◽  
Combination Therapies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Medical Need ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

ABSTRACT Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is an emerging opportunistic pathogen, classified by the World Health Organization as one of the leading multidrug-resistant organisms in hospital settings. The need to discover novel compounds and/or combination therapies for S. maltophilia is urgent. We demonstrate the in vitro efficacy of aztreonam-avibactam (ATM-AVI) against S. maltophilia and kinetically characterize the inhibition of the L2 β-lactamase by avibactam. ATM-AVI overcomes aztreonam resistance in selected clinical strains of S. maltophilia, addressing an unmet medical need.

scholarly journals In VitroActivities of Primaquine-Schizonticide Combinations on Asexual Blood Stages and Gametocytes of Plasmodium falciparum

2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (12) ◽  
pp. 7650-7656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mynthia Cabrera ◽  
Liwang Cui
Keyword(s):  
Plasmodium Falciparum ◽  
World Health ◽  
Combination Therapies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Synergistic Interactions ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Potential Interactions ◽  
Artemisinin Combination Therapies ◽  
Antagonistic Interactions

ABSTRACTCurrently, the World Health Organization recommends addition of a 0.25-mg base/kg single dose of primaquine (PQ) to artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs) forPlasmodium falciparummalaria as a gametocytocidal agent for reducing transmission. Here, we investigated the potential interactions of PQ with the long-lasting components of the ACT drugs for eliminating the asexual blood stages and gametocytes ofin vitro-culturedP. falciparumstrains. Using the SYBR green I assay for asexual parasites and a flow cytometry-based assay for gametocytes, we determined the interactions of PQ with the schizonticides chloroquine, mefloquine, piperaquine, lumefantrine, and naphthoquine. With the sums of fractional inhibitory concentrations and isobolograms, we were able to determine mostly synergistic interactions for the various PQ and schizonticide combinations on the blood stages ofP. falciparumlaboratory strains. The synergism in inhibiting asexual stages and gametocytes was highly evident with PQ-naphthoquine, whereas synergism was moderate for the PQ-piperaquine, PQ-chloroquine, and PQ-mefloquine combinations. We have detected potentially antagonistic interactions between PQ and lumefantrine under certain drug combination ratios, suggesting that precautions might be needed when PQ is added as the gametocytocide to the artemether-lumefantrine ACT (Coartem).

scholarly journals In Vivo Efficacy of Relebactam (MK-7655) in Combination with Imipenem-Cilastatin in Murine Infection Models

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Ann Powles ◽  
Andrew Galgoci ◽  
Andrew Misura ◽  
Lawrence Colwell ◽  
Karen H. Dingley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
World Health ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Log Reduction ◽  
Development Of Resistance ◽  
Health Organization

ABSTRACT The World Health Organization has identified antimicrobial resistance as a global public health threat since the prevalence and spread of antibiotic resistance among bacterial pathogens worldwide are staggering. Carbapenems, such as imipenem and meropenem, have been used to treat multidrug-resistant bacteria; however, since the development of resistance to carbapenems, β-lactam antibiotics in combination with β-lactamase inhibitors (BLI) has been one of the most successful strategies to enhance the activity of β-lactam antibiotics. Relebactam (REL) is a new BLI which has been found to inhibit class A and class C β-lactamases in vitro. REL has been reported to restore imipenem's activity against both imipenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Reported here are the in vivo efficacy studies of the imipenem-cilastatin (IMI)-REL combination in mouse models of disseminated and pulmonary infection caused by imipenem-resistant clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae. The combination was also evaluated in a P. aeruginosa delayed pulmonary model of infection. IMI-REL was found to be effective in the disseminated model of infection with log reduction in P. aeruginosa CFU of 3.73, 3.13, and 1.72 at REL doses of 40, 20, and 10 mg/kg, respectively. For K. pneumoniae, log reductions in CFU of 2.36, 3.06, and 2.29 were reported at REL doses of 80, 40, and 20 mg/kg, respectively. The combination was less effective in the delayed pulmonary model than in the immediate pulmonary model; however, overall REL was found to be effective against these imipenem-resistant strains.

Natural products from the traditional Moroccan pharmacopoeia: A potential lead for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 1278-1285
Author(s):  
Mohamed Yafout ◽  
Amine Ousaid ◽  
Ibrahim Sbai El Otmani ◽  
Youssef Khayati ◽  
Amal Ait Haj Said
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Plant Extracts ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Treatment Protocol ◽  
World Health ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Promising Source

The new SARS-CoV-2 belonging to the coronaviruses family has caused a pandemic affecting millions of people around the world. This pandemic has been declared by the World Health Organization as an international public health emergency. Although several clinical trials involving a large number of drugs are currently underway, no treatment protocol for COVID-19 has been officially approved so far. Here we demonstrate through a search in the scientific literature that the traditional Moroccan pharmacopoeia, which includes more than 500 medicinal plants, is a fascinating and promising source for the research of natural molecules active against SARS-CoV-2. Multiple in-silico and in-vitro studies showed that some of the medicinal plants used by Moroccans for centuries possess inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-2. These inhibitory activities are achieved through the different molecular mechanisms of virus penetration and replication, or indirectly through stimulation of immunity. Thus, the potential of plants, plant extracts and molecules derived from plants that are traditionally used in Morocco and have activity against SARS-CoV-2, could be explored in the search for a preventive or curative treatment against COVID-19. Furthermore, safe plants or plant extracts that are proven to stimulate immunity could be officially recommended by governments as nutritional supplements.

Treatment Options in COVID-19: The Role of Bioavailable Antiviral Ribonucleoside Analog on NHC in vitro

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara Bittmann
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
Clinical Picture ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
World Health ◽  
Wuhan City ◽  
The World ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Health Organization

On December 31, 2019, WHO was informed of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan City, China. A novel coronavirus was identified as the cause by Chinese authorities on January 7, 2020 and was provisionally named "2019-nCoV". This new Coronavirus causes a clinical picture which has received now the name COVID-19. The virus has spread subsequently worldwide and was explained on the 11th of March, 2020 by the World Health Organization to the pandemic.

scholarly journals Buruli Ulcer: Review of a Neglected Skin Mycobacterial Disease

2017 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeannette Guarner
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Presentation ◽  
Oral Treatment ◽  
Buruli Ulcer ◽  
Mycobacterium Ulcerans ◽  
World Health ◽  
Tissue Necrosis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Skin Nodule ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

ABSTRACTBuruli ulcer is caused byMycobacterium ulcerans. This neglected disease occurs in scattered foci around the world, with a higher concentration of cases in West Africa. The mycobacteria produce mycolactones that cause tissue necrosis. The disease presents as a painless skin nodule that ulcerates as necrosis expands. Finding acid-fast bacilli in smears or histopathology, culturing the mycobacteria, and performingM. ulceransPCR in presumptive cases confirm the diagnosis. Medical treatment with oral rifampin and intramuscular streptomycin or oral treatment with rifampin plus clarithromycin for 8 weeks is supported by the World Health Organization. This review summarizes the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnostic tests, and advances in treatment.

scholarly journals A Review of the Preclinical and Clinical Efficacy of Remdesivir, Hydroxychloroquine, and Lopinavir-Ritonavir Treatments against COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 1108-1122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dawid Maciorowski ◽  
Samir Z. El Idrissi ◽  
Yash Gupta ◽  
Brian J. Medernach ◽  
Michael B. Burns ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gastrointestinal Symptoms ◽  
High Risk Group ◽  
Capital City ◽  
World Health ◽  
Atypical Pneumonia ◽  
Live Animal ◽  
The World ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Health Organization

In December of 2019, an outbreak of a novel coronavirus flared in Wuhan, the capital city of the Hubei Province, China. The pathogen has been identified as a novel enveloped RNA beta-coronavirus named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus SARS-CoV-2 is associated with a disease characterized by severe atypical pneumonia known as coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). Typical symptoms of this disease include cough, fever, malaise, shortness of breath, gastrointestinal symptoms, anosmia, and, in severe cases, pneumonia.1 The high-risk group of COVID-19 patients includes people over the age of 60 years as well as people with existing cardiovascular disease and/or diabetes mellitus. Epidemiological investigations have suggested that the outbreak was associated with a live animal market in Wuhan. Within the first few months of the outbreak, cases were growing exponentially all over the world. The unabated spread of this deadly and highly infectious virus is a health emergency for all nations in the world and has led to the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring a pandemic on March 11, 2020. In this report, we consolidate and review the available clinically and preclinically relevant results emanating from in vitro animal models and clinical studies of drugs approved for emergency use as a treatment for COVID-19, including remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine, and lopinavir-ritonavir combinations. These compounds have been frequently touted as top candidates to treat COVID-19, but recent clinical reports suggest mixed outcomes on their efficacies within the current clinical protocol frameworks.

scholarly journals The Acinetobacter baumannii Znu System Overcomes Host-Imposed Nutrient Zinc Limitation

2019 ◽  
Vol 87 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura E. Hesse ◽  
Zachery R. Lonergan ◽  
William N. Beavers ◽  
Eric P. Skaar
Keyword(s):  
Acinetobacter Baumannii ◽  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Bacterial Pathogen ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
World Health ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Nutritional Immunity ◽  
Essential Nutrient ◽  
Health Organization

ABSTRACT Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen capable of causing a variety of infections, including pneumonia, sepsis, wound, and burn infections. A. baumannii is an increasing threat to public health due to the prevalence of multidrug-resistant strains, leading the World Health Organization to declare A. baumannii a “Priority 1: Critical” pathogen, for which the development of novel antimicrobials is desperately needed. Zinc (Zn) is an essential nutrient that pathogenic bacteria, including A. baumannii, must acquire from their hosts in order to survive. Consequently, vertebrate hosts have defense mechanisms to sequester Zn from invading bacteria through a process known as nutritional immunity. Here, we describe a Zn uptake (Znu) system that enables A. baumannii to overcome this host-imposed Zn limitation. The Znu system consists of an inner membrane ABC transporter and an outer membrane TonB-dependent receptor. Strains of A. baumannii lacking any individual Znu component are unable to grow in Zn-starved conditions, including in the presence of the host nutritional immunity protein calprotectin. The Znu system contributes to Zn-limited growth by aiding directly in the uptake of Zn into A. baumannii cells and is important for pathogenesis in murine models of A. baumannii infection. These results demonstrate that the Znu system allows A. baumannii to subvert host nutritional immunity and acquire Zn during infection.

scholarly journals Contribution of Resistance-Nodulation-Division Efflux Pump OperonsmeU1-V-W-U2-Xto Multidrug Resistance of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia

2011 ◽  
Vol 55 (12) ◽  
pp. 5826-5833 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao-Hsien Chen ◽  
Chiang-Ching Huang ◽  
Tsao-Chuen Chung ◽  
Rouh-Mei Hu ◽  
Yi-Wei Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stenotrophomonas Maltophilia ◽  
Efflux Pump ◽  
Acquired Resistance ◽  
Type Systems ◽  
Resistant Mutant ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Membrane Fusion Protein ◽  
Resistance Nodulation Division

ABSTRACTKJ09C, a multidrug-resistant mutant ofStenotrophomonas maltophiliaKJ, was generated byin vitroselection with chloramphenicol. The multidrug-resistant phenotype of KJ09C was attributed to overexpression of a resistance nodulation division (RND)-type efflux system encoded by an operon consisting of five genes:smeU1,smeV,smeW,smeU2, andsmeX. Proteins encoded bysmeV,smeW, andsmeXwere similar to the membrane fusion protein, RND transporter, and outer membrane protein, respectively, of known RND-type systems. The proteins encoded bysmeU1andsmeU2were found to belong to the family of short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases. Mutant KJ09C exhibited increased resistance to chloramphenicol, quinolones, and tetracyclines and susceptibility to aminoglycosides; susceptibility to β-lactams and erythromycin was not affected. The expression of thesmeU1-V-W-U2-Xoperon was regulated by the divergently transcribed LysR-type regulator genesmeRv. Overexpression of the SmeVWX pump contributed to the acquired resistance to chloramphenicol, quinolones, and tetracyclines. Inactivation ofsmeVandsmeWcompletely abolished the activity of the SmeVWX pump, whereas inactivation ofsmeXalone decreased the activity of the SmeVWX pump. The enhanced aminoglycoside susceptibility observed in KJ09C resulted from SmeX overexpression.

COVID-19 alters focus of cyberespionage

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
World Health ◽  
Research Institutions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pharmaceutical Firms ◽  
Civil Society Organisations ◽  
Multilateral Institutions ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

Significance Calls by the UN and civil society organisations for a cyberspace ‘ceasefire’ have made little difference. Impacts Trust in multilateral institutions such as the World Health Organization will be undermined if they suffer cyberattacks. Post-pandemic, China is likely to experience a rise in cyber intrusions from upcoming cyber actors such as Vietnam. Although better prepared than research institutions, large pharmaceutical firms are not immune to cyberespionage.

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