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British Journal of Biomedical Science 2023Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has now emerged as a chronic public health problem globally, with the forecast of 10 million deaths per year globally by 2050. AMR occurs... (Review)
Review
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has now emerged as a chronic public health problem globally, with the forecast of 10 million deaths per year globally by 2050. AMR occurs when viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites do not respond to antimicrobial treatments in humans and animals, thus allowing the survival of the microorganism within the host. The prominent cause contributing to the current crisis remains to be the overuse and misuse of antimicrobials, particularly the inappropriate usage of antibiotics, increasing the global burden of antimicrobial resistance. The global consumption and usage of antibiotics are therefore closely monitored at all times. This review provides a current overview of the implications of strategies used by international governmental organisations, including the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to address the problem of antibiotic resistance, as well as the "," a system incorporating a multidisciplinary effort to achieve the best possible health outcome by acknowledging the clear connections between humans, animals and their shared environment. The importance of public awareness and health literacy of lay audiences still needs to be further emphasised as part of global and local action plans. Antimicrobial resistance continues to be a major global public health dilemma of the 21st century. Already this topic is receiving substantial political input from the G7 countries and continues to be on the agenda of numerous political conferences. The consequences of failure to adequately address AMR are profound, with estimations of a return to the pre-antibiotic era, where everyday infections relating to childbirth, surgery and open fractured limbs could be potentially life-threatening. AMR itself represents a microcosm of factors, including social anthropology, civil unrest/war, diasporas, ethnic displacement, political systems, healthcare, economics, societal behaviour both at a population and individual level, health literacy, geoclimatic events, global travel and pharmaceutical innovation and investment, thus finding a solution that adequately addresses AMR and which helps stem further AMR emergence is complicated. Success will involve individuals, communities and nations all working together to ensure that the world continues to possess a sufficient armamentarium of effective antimicrobials that will sustain human and animal health, both now and in the future.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Anti-Infective Agents
PubMed: 37448857
DOI: 10.3389/bjbs.2023.11387 -
Clinical Microbiology Reviews Jun 2023Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are common causes of bloodstream infections (BSIs) with high morbidity and mortality rates. They are pathogens of global concern... (Review)
Review
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are common causes of bloodstream infections (BSIs) with high morbidity and mortality rates. They are pathogens of global concern with a limited treatment pipeline. Significant challenges exist in the management of VRE BSI, including drug dosing, the emergence of resistance, and the optimal treatment for persistent bacteremia and infective endocarditis. Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) for antimicrobial therapy is evolving for VRE-active agents; however, there are significant gaps in the literature for predicting antimicrobial efficacy for VRE BSIs. To date, TDM has the greatest evidence for predicting drug toxicity for the three main VRE-active antimicrobial agents daptomycin, linezolid, and teicoplanin. This article presents an overview of the treatment options for VRE BSIs, the role of antimicrobial dose optimization through TDM in supporting clinical infection management, and challenges and perspectives for the future.
Topics: Humans; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Vancomycin; Linezolid; Bacteremia; Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci; Anti-Infective Agents; Sepsis; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections
PubMed: 37067406
DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00059-22 -
Science (New York, N.Y.) Jul 2023Despite advances in molecular biology, genetics, computation, and medicinal chemistry, infectious disease remains an ominous threat to public health. Addressing the... (Review)
Review
Despite advances in molecular biology, genetics, computation, and medicinal chemistry, infectious disease remains an ominous threat to public health. Addressing the challenges posed by pathogen outbreaks, pandemics, and antimicrobial resistance will require concerted interdisciplinary efforts. In conjunction with systems and synthetic biology, artificial intelligence (AI) is now leading to rapid progress, expanding anti-infective drug discovery, enhancing our understanding of infection biology, and accelerating the development of diagnostics. In this Review, we discuss approaches for detecting, treating, and understanding infectious diseases, underscoring the progress supported by AI in each case. We suggest future applications of AI and how it might be harnessed to help control infectious disease outbreaks and pandemics.
Topics: Humans; Artificial Intelligence; Communicable Diseases; Drug Discovery; Pandemics; Public Health; Anti-Infective Agents; Communicable Disease Control
PubMed: 37440620
DOI: 10.1126/science.adh1114 -
Nutrients Jul 2023Honey is a nutritious, healthy, and natural food, to which antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties have been attributed, mainly due to its content... (Review)
Review
Honey is a nutritious, healthy, and natural food, to which antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties have been attributed, mainly due to its content of phenolic compounds. The aim of this review is to analyze the available evidence of the effect of honey on humans. Forty-eight clinical trials published between 1985 and 2022 were analyzed, with a total of 3655 subjects. More beneficial effects of honey intake than no or negative effects on different cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors, glucose tolerance, mucositis caused by chemo-radiotherapy, cough in children and wound healing, among others have been observed. Although the number of studies conducted to date is limited and the different investigations are not standardized, beneficial effects of honey intake have been observed, especially when its intake replaces the intake of other sweeteners. In addition, honey could be a safe adjuvant to be administered alongside drugs used for certain diseases.
Topics: Child; Humans; Honey; Anti-Infective Agents; Antioxidants; Cardiovascular System
PubMed: 37447382
DOI: 10.3390/nu15133056 -
Internal Medicine (Tokyo, Japan) Apr 2024
Topics: Humans; Metronidazole; Brain Diseases; Anti-Infective Agents; Magnetic Resonance Imaging
PubMed: 37558473
DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.2288-23 -
Cells Nov 2023Phototherapy, encompassing the utilization of both natural and artificial light, has emerged as a dependable and non-invasive strategy for addressing a diverse range of... (Review)
Review
Phototherapy, encompassing the utilization of both natural and artificial light, has emerged as a dependable and non-invasive strategy for addressing a diverse range of illnesses, diseases, and infections. This therapeutic approach, primarily known for its efficacy in treating skin infections, such as herpes and acne lesions, involves the synergistic use of specific light wavelengths and photosensitizers, like methylene blue. Photodynamic therapy, as it is termed, relies on the generation of antimicrobial reactive oxygen species (ROS) through the interaction between light and externally applied photosensitizers. Recent research, however, has highlighted the intrinsic antimicrobial properties of light itself, marking a paradigm shift in focus from exogenous agents to the inherent photosensitivity of molecules found naturally within pathogens. Chemical analyses have identified specific organic molecular structures and systems, including protoporphyrins and conjugated C=C bonds, as pivotal components in molecular photosensitivity. Given the prevalence of these systems in organic life forms, there is an urgent need to investigate the potential impact of phototherapy on individual molecules expressed within pathogens and discern their contributions to the antimicrobial effects of light. This review delves into the recently unveiled key molecular targets of phototherapy, offering insights into their potential downstream implications and therapeutic applications. By shedding light on these fundamental molecular mechanisms, we aim to advance our understanding of phototherapy's broader therapeutic potential and contribute to the development of innovative treatments for a wide array of microbial infections and diseases.
Topics: Humans; Photosensitizing Agents; Phototherapy; Photochemotherapy; Anti-Infective Agents; Acne Vulgaris
PubMed: 37998399
DOI: 10.3390/cells12222664 -
International Dental Journal Nov 2023This is the concluding article in the supplement on the role of mouthwashes in oral care, which summarises the current guidelines across the globe regarding their... (Review)
Review
This is the concluding article in the supplement on the role of mouthwashes in oral care, which summarises the current guidelines across the globe regarding their acceptable adjunctive use for managing caries, gingivitis, and periodontal disease. Based on moderate evidence for clinical effectiveness, most current guidelines suggest fluoride mouthwashes for the management of dental caries, and chlorhexidine for the management of periodontal diseases. However there still appears to be gaps in the literature underpinning these recommendations. Importantly, all evidence supports such mouthwash use "adjunctively," alongside mechanical oral hygiene measures. Other antimicrobial mouthwashes such as essential oils and cetylpyridinium chloride may also be clinically effective against plaque and gingivitis, but there is a current lack of robust evidence of natural mouthwashes to recommend their adjunctive use. The authors of the current review are of the view that mouthwashes may not be of much value in those with good periodontal health or low caries risk. The reasons for this are, the potential i) risks of allergic reactions, ii) dysbiosis of the oral microbiota, iii) emergence of antimicrobial resistance, and iv) deleterious effects on the environment. There is, however, much empirical research needed on mouthwashes, particularly in vivo research derived through clinical trials. Thus, dental practitioners need to keep abreast of the evidence base on the current, and the emerging, over-the-counter mouthwashes, and pay heed to the consensus views emanating from systematic reviews, as well as international guidelines on mouthwashes.
Topics: Humans; Mouthwashes; Dental Caries; Dentists; Professional Role; Chlorhexidine; Gingivitis; Periodontal Diseases; Anti-Infective Agents; Anti-Infective Agents, Local
PubMed: 37867062
DOI: 10.1016/j.identj.2023.08.013 -
Advanced Science (Weinheim,... Sep 2023Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are essential elements of thehost defense system. Characterized by heterogenous structures and broad-spectrumaction, they are promising... (Review)
Review
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are essential elements of thehost defense system. Characterized by heterogenous structures and broad-spectrumaction, they are promising candidates for combating multidrug resistance. Thecombined use of AMPs with other antimicrobial agents provides a new arsenal ofdrugs with synergistic action, thereby overcoming the drawback of monotherapiesduring infections. AMPs kill microbes via pore formation, thus inhibitingintracellular functions. This mechanism of action by AMPs is an advantage overantibiotics as it hinders the development of drug resistance. The synergisticeffect of AMPs will allow the repurposing of conventional antimicrobials andenhance their clinical outcomes, reduce toxicity, and, most significantly,prevent the development of resistance. In this review, various synergies ofAMPs with antimicrobials and miscellaneous agents are discussed. The effect ofstructural diversity and chemical modification on AMP properties is firstaddressed and then different combinations that can lead to synergistic action,whether this combination is between AMPs and antimicrobials, or AMPs andmiscellaneous compounds, are attended. This review can serve as guidance whenredesigning and repurposing the use of AMPs in combination with other antimicrobialagents for enhanced clinical outcomes.
Topics: Humans; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antimicrobial Peptides; Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; Anti-Infective Agents; Communicable Diseases
PubMed: 37407512
DOI: 10.1002/advs.202300472 -
Scientific Reports Oct 2023Glasses with high antimicrobial efficacy were developed in the FeO-CuO-PO ternary system to mitigate fomite-mediated transmission of infectious diseases in high-risk...
Glasses with high antimicrobial efficacy were developed in the FeO-CuO-PO ternary system to mitigate fomite-mediated transmission of infectious diseases in high-risk settings such as hospitals, daycares, and nursing homes. Binary CuO-PO glasses were not durable enough for use as high touch point articles, so FeO was added to the compositions to increase the chemical durability. The amount of Cu leachate decreased by at least 3 orders of magnitude when FeO was increased from 0 to 13.1 mol%. At the highest FeO contents and corresponding highest durability, the glass was no longer able to pass a test of antimicrobial efficacy with < 3 log kill compared to > 5 log kill for all other compositions. Ab-initio molecular dynamics simulations showed increasing bridging oxygen species at the expense of non-bridging oxygen species with the increase in FeO content, showing that the glasses exhibited increased chemical durability because they were more interconnected and structurally bound. Experimental results with glasses at fixed CuO and decreasing FeO confirmed that FeO content (not CuO) controlled the Cu release rate and, thus, the antimicrobial efficacy of the glasses. The significance of the oxidation state of the leached Cu was overwhelmed by the importance of the amount of Cu leachate.
Topics: Glass; Anti-Infective Agents; Oxygen
PubMed: 37838823
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44743-x -
International Journal of Nanomedicine 2023Chronic wounds are recalcitrant complications of a variety of diseases, with pathologic features including bacterial infection, persistent inflammation, and... (Review)
Review
Chronic wounds are recalcitrant complications of a variety of diseases, with pathologic features including bacterial infection, persistent inflammation, and proliferation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in the wound microenvironment. Currently, the use of antimicrobial drugs, debridement, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and other methods in clinical for chronic wound treatment is prone to problems such as bacterial resistance, wound expansion, and even exacerbation. In recent years, researchers have proposed many novel materials for the treatment of chronic wounds targeting the disease characteristics, among which metal-phenolic networks (MPNs) are supramolecular network structures that utilize multivalent metal ions and natural polyphenols complexed through ligand bonds. They have a flexible and versatile combination of structural forms and a variety of formations (nanoparticles, coatings, hydrogels, etc.) that can be constructed. Functionally, MPNs combine the chemocatalytic and bactericidal properties of metal ions as well as the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of polyphenol compounds. Together with the excellent properties of rapid synthesis and negligible cytotoxicity, MPNs have attracted researchers' great attention in biomedical fields such as anti-tumor, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory. This paper will focus on the composition of MPNs, the mechanisms of MPNs for the treatment of chronic wounds, and the application of MPNs in novel chronic wound therapies.
Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Phenols; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Metals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Ions; Hydrogels
PubMed: 38026522
DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S434535