scholarly journals Gold Nanoparticles: Can They Be the Next Magic Bullet for Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria?

Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 312
Author(s):  
Mohammad Okkeh ◽  
Nora Bloise ◽  
Elisa Restivo ◽  
Lorenzo De Vita ◽  
Piersandro Pallavicini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gold Nanoparticles ◽  
Bacterial Resistance ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
World Health ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Magic Bullet ◽  
Global Challenge ◽  
Gold Silver ◽  
Inorganic Nanomaterials ◽  
Health Organization

In 2017 the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a list of the 12 multidrug-resistant (MDR) families of bacteria that pose the greatest threat to human health, and recommended that new measures should be taken to promote the development of new therapies against these superbugs. Few antibiotics have been developed in the last two decades. Part of this slow progression can be attributed to the surge in the resistance acquired by bacteria, which is holding back pharma companies from taking the risk to invest in new antibiotic entities. With limited antibiotic options and an escalating bacterial resistance there is an urgent need to explore alternative ways of meeting this global challenge. The field of medical nanotechnology has emerged as an innovative and a powerful tool for treating some of the most complicated health conditions. Different inorganic nanomaterials including gold, silver, and others have showed potential antibacterial efficacies. Interestingly, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have gained specific attention, due to their biocompatibility, ease of surface functionalization, and their optical properties. In this review, we will focus on the latest research, done in the field of antibacterial gold nanoparticles; by discussing the mechanisms of action, antibacterial efficacies, and future implementations of these innovative antibacterial systems.

scholarly journals Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria Isolated from Different Aquatic Environments in the North of Spain and South of France

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 1425
Author(s):  
Lara Pérez-Etayo ◽  
David González ◽  
José Leiva ◽  
Ana Isabel Vitas
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
World Health ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Aquatic Environments ◽  
Multidrug Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
The North ◽  
New Antibiotics ◽  
Health Organization

Due to the global progress of antimicrobial resistance, the World Health Organization (WHO) published the list of the antibiotic-resistant “priority pathogens” in order to promote research and development of new antibiotics to the families of bacteria that cause severe and often deadly infections. In the framework of the One Health approach, the surveillance of these pathogens in different environments should be implemented in order to analyze their spread and the potential risk of transmission of antibiotic resistances by food and water. Therefore, the objective of this work was to determine the presence of high and critical priority pathogens included in the aforementioned list in different aquatic environments in the POCTEFA area (North Spain–South France). In addition to these pathogens, detection of colistin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae was included due its relevance as being the antibiotic of choice to treat infections caused by multidrug resistant bacteria (MDR). From the total of 80 analyzed samples, 100% of the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and collectors (from hospitals and slaughterhouses) and 96.4% of the rivers, carried antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) against the tested antibiotics. Fifty-five (17.7%) of the isolates were identified as target microorganisms (high and critical priority pathogens of WHO list) and 58.2% (n = 32) of them came from WWTPs and collectors. Phenotypic and genotypic characterization showed that 96.4% were MDR and resistance to penicillins/cephalosporins was the most widespread. The presence of bla genes, KPC-type carbapenemases, mcr-1 and vanB genes has been confirmed. In summary, the presence of clinically relevant MDR bacteria in the studied aquatic environments demonstrates the need to improve surveillance and treatments of wastewaters from slaughterhouses, hospitals and WWTPs, in order to minimize the dispersion of resistance through the effluents of these areas.

scholarly journals Bacteriophage to Combat Biofilms in Hospital Drains

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny Yijian Huang
Keyword(s):  
Nosocomial Infections ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
World Health ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Environment Modeling ◽  
Water Control ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Area Of Concern ◽  
Chemical Disinfectant ◽  
Health Organization

AbstractBackgroundAccording to the World Health Organization, nearly 15% of all hospitalized patients worldwide acquire nosocomial infections. A particular area of concern for bacterial build up in hospitals is sink drains. The moist, microbiologically active environment of drains promotes the formation of biofilms that are difficult to target with standard chemical disinfectants. Bacteriophages, however, show potential to be used as disinfecting agents in hospital drains. Not only do bacteriophages increase in titer as they infect, spreading to hard-to-reach surfaces, phages have been shown to degrade the extracellular matrix of biofilms and gain access to underlying bacteria. This research explores the potential of bacteriophages to eradicate biofilms in an environment modeling a sink drain by comparing the efficacy, range, and durability of bacteriophage to a chemical disinfectant.MethodsE. coli biofilms were grown in M9 minimal media placed in sink P-traps assigned one of three treatments: chemical disinfectant, bacteriophage, or deionized water (control). Biofilms were quantified at five time points -- 1, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours -- using the crystal violet assay.ResultsBoth chemical disinfectant and bacteriophage significantly decreased the optical densities of biofilms (p < 0.001***). P-traps treated with bacteriophages showed more uniform destruction of biofilm across P-trap compared to chemical disinfectant (p < 0.01**). A trend may suggest that over time bacteriophage became more effective at reducing biofilm than chemical disinfectant.ConclusionThis work highlights the potential of bacteriophage as an alternative to conventional chemical disinfectants for biofilm control in settings such as hospital drains.ImportanceNosocomial infections prolong hospital stay, costing the U.S. healthcare system $5-10 billion annually. An increasing number of reports demonstrate that sink drains -- reservoirs for multidrug resistant bacteria -- may be a source of hospital-related outbreaks. Recent studies have elucidated the mechanism of dispersal of bacteria from contaminated sinks to patients, but limited data are available identifying disinfecting methods for hospital drains. Not only did this study demonstrate that bacteriophages could reduce biofilms on sink drains just as effectively as a commercial disinfectant, it showed that phages tended to spread more thoroughly across P-traps and may work for longer. With hand-washing an imperative activity for disease prevention, hospital sinks should remain clean. This work explores an alternative disinfecting method for hospital sink drains.

Prevalence of Carbapenemase Genes, qacE, qacEΔ1 and cepA in Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria with Different Susceptibility to Chlorhexidine

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 49-60
Author(s):  
K. G. Kosyakova ◽  
N. B. Esaulenko ◽  
O. A. Kameneva ◽  
S. P. Kazakov ◽  
A. Y. Dubinina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Resistance Genes ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
World Health ◽  
Dynamic Monitoring ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Dilution Method ◽  
Agar Dilution Method ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Health Organization

Relevance The World Health Organization has provided a list of resistant bacteria that pose the greatest threat to society. Among them, the most important (critically high priority level) are Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii strains resistant to carbapenems, as well as enterobacteriaceae producing extended spectrum beta-lactamases and carbapenemases.Aim. To conduct a comparative analysis of the sensitivity to chlorhexidine of multiply-resistant gram-negative bacteria, the causative agents of infectious conditions in patients of various medical organizations, and to study the relationship between the presence of resistance genes and the minimum inhibitory concentration of chlorhexidine.Materials & methods. The study included 138 Gram-negative multidrug-resistant strains isolated during 2018–2019 from various clinical specimens. Susceptibility of the isolates to antibiotics were determined using Vitek-2 compact and Phoenix М50, susceptibility to chlorhexidine were determined by agar dilution method. The resistance genes were detected by the real-time PCR method.Results. The lowest level of resistance to chlorhexidine was determined in E. coli strains (MIC90 16 mg/l), other strains were highly resistant: MIC90 of P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii – 128 mg/l, K. pneumoniae, E. cloacae и P. mirabilis – 256 mg/l. The highest frequency of detection of carbapenemase genes observed in K. pneumoniae strains – 56.0% and P. aeruginosa – 48.1%. High prevalence of cepA gene was found out (the strains of enterobacteria – 47.8%, A. baumannii – 42.9%), genes qacE, qacEΔ1 were more often detected in non-fermenting Gram-negative bacteria then in enterobacteria. Conclusion. According to the results of our study, we did not reveal a significant correlation between the presence or absence of resistance genes and MIC of chlorhexidine in Gram-negative bacteria. However, taking into account complex mechanism of the adaptive response of bacteria to the effects of chlorhexidine, and to implement the concept of preventing health care-associated infections, it is proposed to continue dynamic monitoring of the resistance of microorganisms to antiseptics, disinfectants and antibiotics.

scholarly journals Fight Against Antimicrobial Resistance: We Always Need New Antibacterials but for Right Bacteria

Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (17) ◽  
pp. 3152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raphaël E. Duval ◽  
Marion Grare ◽  
Béatrice Demoré
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
World Health ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Infectious Agents ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant ◽  
Health Organization

Antimicrobial resistance in bacteria is frightening, especially resistance in Gram-negative Bacteria (GNB). In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a list of 12 bacteria that represent a threat to human health, and among these, a majority of GNB. Antibiotic resistance is a complex and relatively old phenomenon that is the consequence of several factors. The first factor is the vertiginous drop in research and development of new antibacterials. In fact, many companies simply stop this R&D activity. The finding is simple: there are enough antibiotics to treat the different types of infection that clinicians face. The second factor is the appearance and spread of resistant or even multidrug-resistant bacteria. For a long time, this situation remained rather confidential, almost anecdotal. It was not until the end of the 1980s that awareness emerged. It was the time of Vancomycin-Resistance Enterococci (VRE), and the threat of Vancomycin-Resistant MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus). After this, there has been renewed interest but only in anti-Gram positive antibacterials. Today, the threat is GNB, and we have no new molecules with innovative mechanism of action to fight effectively against these bugs. However, the war against antimicrobial resistance is not lost. We must continue the fight, which requires a better knowledge of the mechanisms of action of anti-infectious agents and concomitantly the mechanisms of resistance of infectious agents.

scholarly journals Applications of Nanodiamonds in the Detection and Therapy of Infectious Diseases

Materials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 1639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Torres Sangiao ◽  
Alina Maria Holban ◽  
Mónica Cartelle Gestal
Keyword(s):  
Drug Delivery ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Antimicrobial Agents ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
World Health ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
Great Opportunity ◽  
Health Organization

We are constantly exposed to infectious diseases, and they cause millions of deaths per year. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that antibiotic resistance could cause 10 million deaths per year by 2050. Multidrug-resistant bacteria are the cause of infection in at least one in three people suffering from septicemia. While antibiotics are powerful agents against infectious diseases, the alarming increase in antibiotic resistance is of great concern. Alternatives are desperately needed, and nanotechnology provides a great opportunity to develop novel approaches for the treatment of infectious diseases. One of the most important factors in the prognosis of an infection caused by an antibiotic resistant bacteria is an early and rigorous diagnosis, jointly with the use of novel therapeutic systems that can specifically target the pathogen and limit the selection of resistant strains. Nanodiamonds can be used as antimicrobial agents due to some of their properties including size, shape, and biocompatibility, which make them highly suitable for the development of efficient and tailored nanotherapies, including vaccines or drug delivery systems. In this review, we discuss the beneficial findings made in the nanodiamonds field, focusing on diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases. We also highlight the innovative platform that nanodiamonds confer for vaccine improvement, drug delivery, and shuttle systems, as well as their role in the generation of faster and more sensitive clinical diagnosis.

scholarly journals Multidrug and Pan-Antibiotic Resistance—The Role of Antimicrobial and Synergistic Essential Oils: A Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 1934578X2096259
Author(s):  
Karen Boren ◽  
AliceAnn Crown ◽  
Richard Carlson
Keyword(s):  
Essential Oils ◽  
Bacterial Resistance ◽  
Fungal Infections ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
World Health ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Bacterial Membranes ◽  
New Antibiotics ◽  
Clinical Benefits

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics continues to be a grave threat to human health. Because antibiotics are no longer a lucrative market for pharmaceutical companies, the development of new antibiotics has slowed to a crawl. The World Health Organization reported that the 8 new bacterial agents approved since July 2017 had limited clinical benefits. While a cohort of biopharmaceutical companies recently announced plans to develop 2-4 new antibiotics by 2030, we needn’t wait a decade to find innovative antibiotic candidates. Essential oils (EOs) have long been known as antibacterial agents with wide-ranging arsenals. Many are able to penetrate the bacterial membrane and may also be effective against bacterial defenses such as biofilms, efflux pumps, and quorum sensing. EOs have been documented to fight drug-resistant bacteria alone and/or combined with antibiotics. This review will summarize research showing the significant role of EOs as nonconventional regimens against the worldwide spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. The authors conducted a 4-year search of the US National Library of Medicine (PubMed) for relevant EO studies against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, multidrug-resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli, EO combinations/synergy with antibiotics, against MDR fungal infections, showing the ability to permeate bacterial membranes, and against the bacterial defenses listed above. EOs are readily available and are a needed addition to the arsenal against resistant pathogens.

scholarly journals The Effect of Different Antibiotic Regimens on Bacterial Resistance: A Systematic Review

Antibiotics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Romeo Patini ◽  
Gilda Mangino ◽  
Leonardo Martellacci ◽  
Gianluca Quaranta ◽  
Luca Masucci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Oral Cavity ◽  
Bacterial Resistance ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
World Health ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Newcastle Ottawa Scale ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Dangerous Behaviors

Background and objectives: Infections caused by resistant bacteria are a growing public health problem that is linked to many different causes, among them the antibiotics’ incorrect use plays an important role. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the most dangerous behaviors are the early interruption of antibiotic therapy and the use of molecules without appropriate prescription. The authors conducted a systematic review to assess if antibiotic prescription with different regimens is connected to the onset of bacterial resistance. Methods: The authors performed an electronic and manual literature search on four databases (Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials) from their inception to 15 June 2019. The date of the last search was 27 November 2019. Any article comparing cultural or genic analysis of resistance in patients that took antibiotics with at least two different regimens was included. No language restrictions were applied. Risk of bias for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was assessed using the Cochrane collaboration’s tool whereas case-control and cohort studies were evaluated through the Newcastle–Ottawa scale. Results: The initial search resulted in a total of 1744 titles. After careful evaluation of all results, only three studies satisfied the outcome of the present review. From the qualitative analysis of data, it emerges that even if antibiotics are administered for a shorter period than the conventional one the species that inhabit the oral cavity can adapt quickly and express genes of antibiotic resistance. Additional evidence from this analysis is that not only does the proportion of resistant bacteria increase in the oral cavity, but also in more distant districts such as the intestine. Conclusions: Despite the great number of studies retrieved by electronic databases only few studies investigated the target of this review. The reason for this evidence is that it is not ethical to investigate and compare different antibiotic regimens, shorter or longer than the appropriate one. This evidence is applicable both to prophylactic administrations and to those aimed at treating infections. Besides this, the WHO affirms that, in the absence of infective complications, the prescription of antibiotic after every type of surgical intervention cannot be admitted and that studies dealing with antibiotic regimens that do not comply with drug’s pharmacodynamics characteristics cannot be ethically admitted. PROSPERO acknowledgement of receipt [149149].

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.

scholarly journals Multidrug Resistence Prevalence in COVID Area

Life ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 601
Author(s):  
Caterina Aurilio ◽  
Pasquale Sansone ◽  
Antonella Paladini ◽  
Manlio Barbarisi ◽  
Francesco Coppolino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Resistance ◽  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation ◽  
Viral Disease ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Antimicrobial Drugs ◽  
Infected People ◽  
Therapeutic Procedures ◽  
Viral Respiratory Infections

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, is often complicated by severe acute respiratory syndrome. The new coronavirus outbreak started in China in December 2019 and rapidly spread around the world. The high diffusibility of the virus was the reason for the outbreak of the pandemic viral disease, reaching more than 100 million infected people globally by the first three months of 2021. In the various treatments used up to now, the use of antimicrobial drugs for the management, especially of bacterial co-infections, is very frequent in patients admitted to intensive care. In addition, critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection are subjected to prolonged mechanical ventilation and other therapeutic procedures often responsible for developing hospital co-infections due to multidrug-resistant bacteria. Co-infections contribute to the increase in the morbidity–mortality of viral respiratory infections. We performed this study to review the recent articles published on the antibiotic bacterial resistance and viruses to predict risk factors of coronavirus disease 2019 and to assess the multidrug resistance in patients hospitalized in the COVID-19 area.

scholarly journals Antibiotic Pipeline Coordinators

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (S1) ◽  
pp. 25-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrico Baraldi ◽  
Olof Lindahl ◽  
Miloje Savic ◽  
David Findlay ◽  
Christine Årdal
Keyword(s):  
Research And Development ◽  
World Health ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
Priority List ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Global Priority ◽  
The World ◽  
New Antibiotics ◽  
Health Organization

The World Health Organization (WHO) has published a global priority list of antibiotic-resistant bacteria to guide research and development (R&D) of new antibiotics. Every pathogen on this list requires R&D activity, but some are more attractive for private sector investments, as evidenced by the current antibacterial pipeline. A “pipeline coordinator” is a governmental/non-profit organization that closely tracks the antibacterial pipeline and actively supports R&D across all priority pathogens employing new financing tools.

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