scholarly journals Crumbling the Castle: Targeting DNABII Proteins for Collapsing Bacterial Biofilms as a Therapeutic Approach to Treat Disease and Combat Antimicrobial Resistance

Antibiotics ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 104
Author(s):  
James V. Rogers ◽  
Veronica L. Hall ◽  
Charles C. McOsker
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Defense Mechanism ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Bacterial Biofilms ◽  
Host Immune System ◽  
New Antibiotics ◽  
Financial Burdens ◽  
Global Threat

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a concerning global threat that, if not addressed, could lead to increases in morbidity and mortality, coupled with societal and financial burdens. The emergence of AMR bacteria can be attributed, in part, to the decreased development of new antibiotics, increased misuse and overuse of existing antibiotics, and inadequate treatment options for biofilms formed during bacterial infections. Biofilms are complex microbiomes enshrouded in a self-produced extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) that is a primary defense mechanism of the resident microorganisms against antimicrobial agents and the host immune system. In addition to the physical protective EPS barrier, biofilm-resident bacteria exhibit tolerance mechanisms enabling persistence and the establishment of recurrent infections. As current antibiotics and therapeutics are becoming less effective in combating AMR, new innovative technologies are needed to address the growing AMR threat. This perspective article highlights such a product, CMTX-101, a humanized monoclonal antibody that targets a universal component of bacterial biofilms, leading to pathogen-agnostic rapid biofilm collapse and engaging three modes of action—the sensitization of bacteria to antibiotics, host immune enablement, and the suppression of site-specific tissue inflammation. CMTX-101 is a new tool used to enhance the effectiveness of existing, relatively inexpensive first-line antibiotics to fight infections while promoting antimicrobial stewardship.

scholarly journals RECENT PROMISING ADVANCES IN DEVELOPMENT OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS: A REVIEW

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (5-s) ◽  
pp. 82-86
Author(s):  
Mudasir Maqbool ◽  
Geer Mohamed Ishaq
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Clinical Situation ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
New Agents ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
New Antibiotics ◽  
Global Threat ◽  
Modern Era

Antimicrobial resistance is a serious global threat. There is a global menace of antibiotic resistant “super bug”, though the extent and the severity of the problem varies. Resistance hampers therapeutic options and drives clinicians to use newer and more expensive drugs. In serious cases, multi-resistance provides no treatment options. To overcome resistance, a continuous supply of new antibiotics offers an obvious way; but the pipeline of agents in development by the Pharmaceutical industry is very limited. There is an ever-evolving need to develop and evaluate newer alternative strategies for countering a worsening clinical situation to overcome resistance and reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The widespread distribution of Antimicrobial resistance has not been paralleled by the development of newer antimicrobials. This happens due to the process of drug discovery and clinical trials of new antimicrobials taking longer time and only a fewer new agents been approved for use. In modern era, where obstacles like chemo-resistance and mutations torment medicine, scientists across the world are looking to adapt lateral approaches in encountering diseases. Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, super bug, antibiotics

Antimicrobial Resistance in the Intensive Care Unit

2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shawn H. MacVane
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Hospital Costs ◽  
High Morbidity ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Gram Negative Organisms

Bacterial infections are a frequent cause of hospitalization, and nosocomial infections are an increasingly common condition, particularly within the acute/critical care setting. Infection control practices and new antimicrobial development have primarily focused on gram-positive bacteria; however, in recent years, the incidence of infections caused by gram-negative bacteria has risen considerably in intensive care units. Infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) gram-negative organisms are associated with high morbidity and mortality, with significant direct and indirect costs resulting from prolonged hospitalizations due to antibiotic treatment failures. Of particular concern is the increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance to β-lactam antibiotics (including carbapenems) among Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii and, recently, among pathogens of the Enterobacteriaceae family. Treatment options for infections caused by these pathogens are limited. Antimicrobial stewardship programs focus on optimizing the appropriate use of currently available antimicrobial agents with the goals of improving outcomes for patients with infections caused by MDR gram-negative organisms, slowing the progression of antimicrobial resistance, and reducing hospital costs. Newly approved treatment options are available, such as β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations, which significantly extend the armamentarium against MDR gram-negative bacteria.

scholarly journals Loxosceles gaucho Spider Venom: An Untapped Source of Antimicrobial Agents

Toxins ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Segura-Ramírez ◽  
Pedro Silva Júnior
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Carcinoma Cells ◽  
Promising Candidate ◽  
Human Red Blood Cells ◽  
New Antibiotics ◽  
Conventional Antibiotics ◽  
Human Cervical Carcinoma Cells

The remarkable ability of microorganisms to develop resistance to conventional antibiotics is one of the biggest challenges that the pharmaceutical industry currently faces. Recent studies suggest that antimicrobial peptides discovered in spider venoms may be useful resources for the design of structurally new anti-infective agents effective against drug-resistant microorganisms. In this work, we found an anionic antibacterial peptide named U1-SCRTX-Lg1a in the venom of the spider Loxosceles gaucho. The peptide was purified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), its antimicrobial activity was tested through liquid growth inhibition assays, and its chemical properties were characterized using mass spectrometry. U1-SCRTX-Lg1a was found to show a monoisotopic mass of 1695.75 Da, activity against Gram-negative bacteria, a lack of hemolytic effects against human red blood cells, and a lack of cytotoxicity against human cervical carcinoma cells (HeLa). Besides this, the sequence of the peptide exhibited great similarity to specific regions of phospholipases D from different species of Loxosceles spiders, leading to the hypothesis that U1-SCRTX-Lg1a may have originated from a limited proteolytic cleavage. Our data suggest that U1-SCRTX-Lg1a is a promising candidate for the development of new antibiotics that could help fight bacterial infections and represents an exciting discovery for Loxosceles spiders.

scholarly journals Molecular Characterization of Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Clinical Isolates from Egyptian Patients

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reem M Hassan ◽  
Sherifa T Salem ◽  
Saly Ismail Mostafa Hassan ◽  
Asmaa Sayed Hegab ◽  
Yasmine S Elkholy
Keyword(s):  
Acinetobacter Baumannii ◽  
Molecular Characterization ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Carbapenem Resistance ◽  
Clinical Isolates ◽  
Common Mechanism ◽  
Carbapenem Resistant ◽  
Egyptian Patients ◽  
Global Threat

AbstractAcinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) represents a global threat owing to its ability to resist most of the currently available antimicrobial agents. Moreover, emergence of carbapenem resistant A. baumannii (CR-AB) isolates limits the available treatment options. Enzymatic degradation by variety of ß-lactamases, have been identified as the most common mechanism of carbapenem resistance in A. baumannii. The alarming increase in the prevalence of CR-AB necessitates continuous screening and molecular characterization to appreciate the problem. The present study was performed to assess the prevalence and characterize carbapenemases among 206 CR-AB isolated from various clinical specimens collected from different intensive care units at Kasr Al-Aini Hospital.All isolates were confirmed to be A. baumannii by detection of the blaOXA-51-like gene. Molecular screening of 13 common Ambler class bla carbapenemases genes in addition to insertion sequence (IS-1) upstream OXA-23 was performed by using four sets of multiplex PCR, followed by identification using gene sequencing technology. Among the investigated genes, the prevalence of blaOXA-23, and blaOXA-58 were 77.7%, and 1.9%, respectively. The ISAba1 was detected in 10% of the blaOXA-23 positive isolates. The prevalence of metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) studied; blaNDM-1, blaSPM, blaVIM, blaSIM-1 were 11.7%, 6.3%, 0.5%, and 0.5% respectively. One of class A; bla KPC was detected in 10.7% of the investigated isolates. blaOXA-24/40, blaIMP, blaGES, blaVEB and blaGIM were not detected in any of the studied isolates. Moreover, 18.4% of the isolates have shown to harbor two or more of the screened bla genes. We concluded that the most prevalent type of ß-lactamases genes among CR-AB isolates collected from Egyptian patients were blaOXA-23 followed by blaNDM-1 and blaKPC.Author summaryCarbapenem-resistant A. baumannii has become a real global health threat. The aim of the present study was to characterize and to assess the prevalence of carbapenemases among 206 CR-AB clinical isolates from Egyptian patients. We concluded that the most prevalent type of ß-lactamases genes among CR-AB isolates collected from Egyptian patients were blaOXA-23 followed by blaNDM-1 and blaKPC. In this study, ISAba1 was detected upstream 10% of blaOXA-23 positive isolates only which indicates that the spread of resistance among Acinetobacter isolates could be either chromosomal or plamid-mediated.

scholarly journals Antimicrobial Resistance in Oral biofilm: Challenges and Alternatives

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 349-356
Author(s):  
Satish Kumar Sharma ◽  
Shmmon Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Bacterial Biofilm ◽  
Bacterial Biofilms ◽  
Target Cells ◽  
Bacterial Cells ◽  
Antimicrobial Drugs ◽  
Oral Infections

Bacterial biofilm has been a major contributor to severe bacterial infections in humans. Oral infections have also been associated with biofilm-forming microbes. Several antimicrobial strategies have been developed to combat bacterial biofilms. However, the complexity of the oral cavity has made it difficult to use common drug treatments. Most effective ways to control normal bacterial infections are rendered ineffective for bacterial biofilms. Due to limited drug concentration availability, drug neutralization or altered phenotype of bacterial cells, different drug have been ineffective to identify the target cells. This leads to the development of the multifaceted phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Biofilm research done so far has been focused on using antimicrobial drugs to target molecular mechanisms of cells. The severity and resistance mechanisms of extracellular matrix (ECM) have been underestimated. The present study describes different antimicrobial strategies with respect to their applications in dental or oral infections. A prospective strategy has been proposed targeting ECM which is expected to provide an insight on biofilm obstinacy and antimicrobial resistance.

scholarly journals Emerging Treatment Options for Infections by Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Positive Microorganisms

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Despoina Koulenti ◽  
Elena Xu ◽  
Andrew Song ◽  
Isaac Yin Sum Mok ◽  
Drosos E. Karageorgopoulos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Safety Profile ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Current Treatment ◽  
Multi Drug Resistance ◽  
Gram Positive ◽  
Treatment Regimens ◽  
Gram Positive Bacteria

Antimicrobial agents are currently the mainstay of treatment for bacterial infections worldwide. However, due to the increased use of antimicrobials in both human and animal medicine, pathogens have now evolved to possess high levels of multi-drug resistance, leading to the persistence and spread of difficult-to-treat infections. Several current antibacterial agents active against Gram-positive bacteria will be rendered useless in the face of increasing resistance rates. There are several emerging antibiotics under development, some of which have been shown to be more effective with an improved safety profile than current treatment regimens against Gram-positive bacteria. We will extensively discuss these antibiotics under clinical development (phase I-III clinical trials) to combat Gram-positive bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecium and Streptococcus pneumoniae. We will delve into the mechanism of actions, microbiological spectrum, and, where available, the pharmacokinetics, safety profile, and efficacy of these drugs, aiming to provide a comprehensive review to the involved stakeholders.

scholarly journals Weakest-Link Dynamics Predict Apparent Antibiotic Interactions in a Model Cross-Feeding Community

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth M. Adamowicz ◽  
William R. Harcombe
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Combination Therapy ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Interaction Patterns ◽  
Weakest Link ◽  
Infection Treatment ◽  
Additional Challenge ◽  
Global Threat ◽  
Multiple Drugs ◽  
Antibiotic Interactions

ABSTRACT With the growing global threat of antimicrobial resistance, novel strategies are required for combatting resistant pathogens. Combination therapy, in which multiple drugs are used to treat an infection, has proven highly successful in the treatment of cancer and HIV. However, this practice has proven challenging for the treatment of bacterial infections due to difficulties in selecting the correct combinations and dosages. An additional challenge in infection treatment is the polymicrobial nature of many infections, which may respond to antibiotics differently than a monoculture pathogen. This study tests whether patterns of antibiotic interactions (synergy, antagonism, or independence/additivity) in monoculture can be used to predict antibiotic interactions in an obligate cross-feeding coculture. Using our previously described weakest-link hypothesis, we hypothesized antibiotic interactions in coculture based on the interactions we observed in monoculture. We then compared our predictions to observed antibiotic interactions in coculture. We tested the interactions between 10 previously identified antibiotic combinations using checkerboard assays. Although our antibiotic combinations interacted differently than predicted in our monocultures, our monoculture results were generally sufficient to predict coculture patterns based solely on the weakest-link hypothesis. These results suggest that combination therapy for cross-feeding multispecies infections may be successfully designed based on antibiotic interaction patterns for their component species.

Innovative approaches to treat Staphylococcus aureus biofilm-related infections

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharina Richter ◽  
Freija Van den Driessche ◽  
Tom Coenye
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Extracellular Matrix ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Iron Metabolism ◽  
Communication System ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Antibiofilm Activity ◽  
Human Pathogen ◽  
Bacterial Communication

Many bacterial infections in humans and animals are caused by bacteria residing in biofilms, complex communities of attached organisms embedded in an extracellular matrix. One of the key properties of microorganisms residing in a biofilm is decreased susceptibility towards antimicrobial agents. This decreased susceptibility, together with conventional mechanisms leading to antimicrobial resistance, makes biofilm-related infections increasingly difficult to treat and alternative antibiofilm strategies are urgently required. In this review, we present three such strategies to combat biofilm-related infections with the important human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus: (i) targeting the bacterial communication system with quorum sensing (QS) inhibitors, (ii) a ‘Trojan Horse’ strategy to disturb iron metabolism by using gallium-based therapeutics and (iii) the use of ‘non-antibiotics’ with antibiofilm activity identified through screening of repurposing libraries.

scholarly journals Critically important antimicrobial preparations for veterinary medicine

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (87) ◽  
pp. 19-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.I. Stetsko ◽  
V.P. Muzyka ◽  
V.M. Hunchak
Keyword(s):  
Veterinary Medicine ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Antimicrobial Therapy ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Animal Origin ◽  
European Medicines Agency ◽  
Antimicrobial Substances

The resistance of microorganisms, bacterial pathogens, to antimicrobials is a global problem in both healthcare and veterinary medicine. It is believed that the main reason for the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance in humans is the transfer of antibiotic resistant strains of microorganisms or genes, determinants of resistance, through products of animal origin from productive animals to humans. Thus, the main way of antimicrobial resistance containment is to restrain and minimize it through the prudent use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine, especially those that are critically important for productive animals. In addition, some classes of antibacterial substances and antibiotics, that are widely used in humane medicine, are used in veterinary medicine. The need to use and preserve these important therapeutic agents is relevant from the point of view of the concept «One Health». The article provides a list of all antibacterial substances used by productive animals for their importance in veterinary medicine, developed by a special group of experts of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). Any antimicrobial agent authorized for use in veterinary medicine for productive animals, in accordance with the criteria for quality, safety and efficacy as defined in Section 6.9 of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code, is considered to be important for veterinary medicine. All the antimicrobial substances used for productive animals are divided in this list on critical, very important and important for veterinary medicine. Attention was also drawn to the peculiarities of the use of critical antimicrobial agents in veterinary medicine, especially those recognized as critical in humane medicine. These include aminoglycosides, cephalosporins of the 3rd and 4th generation, fluoroquinolones, glycopeptides, macrolides, some penicillins and polymyxins. The article also describes the classification of critical antimicrobials by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Panel of Experts on Antimicrobials (AMEG) of the WHO based on the risk profile for humans through the development of antimicrobial resistance after application to productive animals. Such an assessment will give veterinary practitioners an important justification when they make decisions about the clinical treatment of bacterial infections and the responsible appointment of antimicrobial therapy. This will help to reach the balance among the achievement of the effectiveness of antimicrobial therapy of productive animals, reducing of the selective pressure on the development of antibiotic resistance and ensuring of a high level of human health.

scholarly journals Upregulation of gluconeogenesis leads to increased tolerance to antibiotics targeting the MreB elongosome in E. coli

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brody Barton ◽  
Addison Grinnell ◽  
Randy M. Morgenstein
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Minimal Inhibitory Concentration ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Inhibitory Concentration ◽  
Resistance Mechanism ◽  
Tca Cycle ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Antibiotic Development ◽  
New Antibiotics ◽  
Global Threat

AbstractAntibiotic resistant bacteria are a global threat to human health. One way to combat the rise of antibiotic resistance is to make new antibiotics that target previously ignored proteins. The bacterial actin homolog, MreB, is highly conserved among rod-shaped bacteria and essential for growth, making MreB a good focus for antibiotic targeting. Therefore, it is imperative to understand mechanisms that can give rise to resistance to MreB targeting drugs. Using the MreB targeting drug, A22, we show that changes to central metabolism through deletion of TCA cycle genes, leads to the upregulation of gluconeogenesis resulting in cells with an increased minimal inhibitory concentration to A22. This phenotype can be recapitulated through the addition of glucose to the media. Finally, we show that this increase in minimal inhibitory concentration is not specific to A22 but can be seen in other cell wall targeting antibiotics, such as mecillinam.ImportanceThe spread of antibiotic resistance has made bacterial infections harder to treat. Finding new targets for antibiotic development is critical to overcoming the variety of resistance mechanism that are already crippling our ability to treat infections with current antibiotics. The bacterial actin homolog MreB is a good target for new antibiotic development because it is essential for growth and highly conserved among rod-shaped pathogens. The significance of this research is in understanding the mechanisms cells can develop toward the inhibition of MreB to better understand how to make MreB targeting antibiotics in the future.

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