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Nature Reviews. Drug Discovery Feb 2015Natural products have been a rich source of compounds for drug discovery. However, their use has diminished in the past two decades, in part because of technical... (Review)
Review
Natural products have been a rich source of compounds for drug discovery. However, their use has diminished in the past two decades, in part because of technical barriers to screening natural products in high-throughput assays against molecular targets. Here, we review strategies for natural product screening that harness the recent technical advances that have reduced these barriers. We also assess the use of genomic and metabolomic approaches to augment traditional methods of studying natural products, and highlight recent examples of natural products in antimicrobial drug discovery and as inhibitors of protein-protein interactions. The growing appreciation of functional assays and phenotypic screens may further contribute to a revival of interest in natural products for drug discovery.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Infective Agents; Biodiversity; Biological Products; Clinical Trials as Topic; Drug Discovery; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Genomics; Humans; Molecular Structure
PubMed: 25614221
DOI: 10.1038/nrd4510 -
Indian Journal of Pharmacology 2017
Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Humans; Light; Pharmacology; Photic Stimulation; Photochemistry; Photochemotherapy; Phototherapy
PubMed: 29033480
DOI: 10.4103/0253-7613.215730 -
Nature Biotechnology Oct 2023
Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Anti-Bacterial Agents
PubMed: 37828280
DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-01970-x -
Clinical Microbiology Reviews Apr 2015Substandard/counterfeit antimicrobial drugs are a growing global problem. The most common substandard/counterfeit antimicrobials include beta-lactams (among antibiotics)... (Review)
Review
Substandard/counterfeit antimicrobial drugs are a growing global problem. The most common substandard/counterfeit antimicrobials include beta-lactams (among antibiotics) and chloroquine and artemisin derivatives (among antimalarials). The most common type of substandard/counterfeit antimicrobial drugs have a reduced amount of the active drug, and the majority of them are manufactured in Southeast Asia and Africa. Counterfeit antimicrobial drugs may cause increased mortality and morbidity and pose a danger to patients. Here we review the literature with regard to the issue of substandard/counterfeit antimicrobials and describe the prevalence of this problem, the different types of substandard/counterfeit antimicrobial drugs, and the consequences for the individuals and global public health. Local, national, and international initiatives are required to combat this very important public health issue.
Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Counterfeit Drugs; International Cooperation; Public Health
PubMed: 25788516
DOI: 10.1128/CMR.00072-14 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jul 2022The aim of this Special Edition is to highlight the exponential work performed in the field of antimicrobial material research from the beginning of the current COVID-19...
The aim of this Special Edition is to highlight the exponential work performed in the field of antimicrobial material research from the beginning of the current COVID-19 pandemic [...].
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Infective Agents; Humans; Pandemics; COVID-19 Drug Treatment
PubMed: 35887389
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23148047 -
International Journal of Antimicrobial... Aug 2021
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Infective Agents; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Forecasting; Humans; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Sepsis
PubMed: 34062225
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2021.106369 -
Current Opinion in Microbiology Oct 2015
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Infective Agents; Drug Discovery; Humans
PubMed: 26384621
DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2015.09.001 -
Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews Aug 2016Prevention plays an invaluable role in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The use of microbicides is considered an interesting potential approach for topical pre-exposure... (Review)
Review
Prevention plays an invaluable role in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The use of microbicides is considered an interesting potential approach for topical pre-exposure prophylaxis of HIV sexual transmission. The prospects of having an effective product available are expected to be fulfilled in the near future as driven by recent and forthcoming results of clinical trials. Different dosage forms and delivery strategies have been proposed and tested for multiple microbicide drug candidates presently at different stages of the development pipeline. One particularly interesting approach comprises the application of nanomedicine principles to the development of novel anti-HIV microbicides, but its implications to efficacy and safety are not yet fully understood. Nanotechnology-based systems, either presenting inherent anti-HIV activity or acting as drug nanocarriers, may significantly influence features such as drug solubility, stability of active payloads, drug release, interactions between active moieties and virus/cells, intracellular drug delivery, drug targeting, safety, antiviral activity, mucoadhesive behavior, drug distribution and tissue penetration, and pharmacokinetics. The present manuscript provides a comprehensive and holistic overview of these topics as relevant to the development of vaginal and rectal microbicides. In particular, recent advances pertaining inherently active microbicide nanosystems and microbicide drug nanocarriers are discussed.
Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Drug Delivery Systems; Drug Design; Female; HIV Infections; Humans; Nanomedicine; Nanotechnology
PubMed: 26829288
DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2016.01.017 -
Carbohydrate Polymers Apr 2018Sodium alginate (Alg) reacted with antibiotic gentamicin sulfate (GS) in an aqueous-phase condition mediated by carbodiimide chemistry, in the molar ratios Alg: GS of...
Sodium alginate (Alg) reacted with antibiotic gentamicin sulfate (GS) in an aqueous-phase condition mediated by carbodiimide chemistry, in the molar ratios Alg: GS of (1:0.5), (1:1) and (1:2). The Alg-GS conjugated derivatives were characterized by elemental analysis for nitrogen content, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in the attenuated total reflection mode (FTIR-ATR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) and water sorption measurements. XPS and FTIR-ATR analyses clearly indicated that GS molecules covalently attached to the backbone of the alginate chains by amide bond formation. The highest amount of GS bound to Alg (43.5 ± 0.4 wt%) and the highest swelling ratio (4962 ± 661%) were observed for the Alg-GS (1:2) sample. Bioluminescence assays with Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1/lecA:lux and colony forming counting of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli upon contact with all Alg-GS conjugates revealed microbicidal activity; however, Alg-GS (1:2) was the most efficient, due to the highest GS content.
Topics: Alginates; Anti-Infective Agents; Carbodiimides; Chitosan; Gentamicins; Glucuronic Acid; Hexuronic Acids; Hydrogels; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Staphylococcus aureus; Thermogravimetry
PubMed: 29455973
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2018.01.044 -
Critical Reviews in Biotechnology Nov 2019The prevention of infectious diseases is a global challenge where multidrug-resistant bacteria or "superbugs" pose a serious threat to worldwide public health.... (Review)
Review
The prevention of infectious diseases is a global challenge where multidrug-resistant bacteria or "superbugs" pose a serious threat to worldwide public health. Microtopographic surfaces have attracted much attention as they represent a biomimetic and nontoxic surface antibacterial strategy to replace biocides. The antimicrobial effect of such natural and biomimetic surface nanostructures involves a physical approach which eradicates bacteria via the structural features of the surfaces without any release of biocides or chemicals. These recent developments present a significant proof-of-concept and a powerful tool in which cellular adhesion and death caused by a physical approach, can be controlled by the micro/nanotopology of such surfaces. This represents an innovative direction of development of clean, effective and nonresistant antimicrobial surfaces. The minireview will cover novel approaches for the construction of nanostructures on surfaces in order to create antimicrobial surface in an environmentally friendly, nontoxic manner.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Infective Agents; Humans; Nanostructures; Surface Properties
PubMed: 31331202
DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2019.1641788