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International Journal of Molecular... Jan 2023Surface contamination by microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria may simultaneously aggravate the biofouling of surfaces and infection of wounds and promote... (Review)
Review
Surface contamination by microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria may simultaneously aggravate the biofouling of surfaces and infection of wounds and promote cross-species transmission and the rapid evolution of microbes in emerging diseases. In addition, natural surface structures with unique anti-biofouling properties may be used as guide templates for the development of functional antimicrobial surfaces. Further, these structure-related antimicrobial surfaces can be categorized into microbicidal and anti-biofouling surfaces. This review introduces the recent advances in the development of microbicidal and anti-biofouling surfaces inspired by natural structures and discusses the related antimicrobial mechanisms, surface topography design, material application, manufacturing techniques, and antimicrobial efficiencies.
Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Biofouling; Bacteria; Surface Properties
PubMed: 36674860
DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021348 -
Molecular Microbiology Mar 2020The Introduction of antibiotics into the clinical use in the middle of the 20th century had a profound impact on modern medicine and human wellbeing. The contribution of... (Review)
Review
The Introduction of antibiotics into the clinical use in the middle of the 20th century had a profound impact on modern medicine and human wellbeing. The contribution of these wonder molecules to public health and science is hard to overestimate. Much research has informed our understanding of antibiotic mechanisms of action and resistance at inhibitory concentrations in the lab and in the clinic. Antibiotics, however, are not a human invention as most of them are either natural products produced by soil microorganisms or semisynthetic derivatives of natural products. Because we use antibiotics to inhibit the bacterial growth, it is generally assumed that growth inhibition is also their primary ecological function in the environment. Nevertheless, multiple studies point to diverse nonlethal effects that are exhibited at lower levels of antibiotics. Here we review accumulating evidence of antibiosis and of alternative functions of antibiotics exhibited at subinhibitory concentrations. We also speculate on how these effects might alter phenotypes, fitness, and community composition of microbes in the context of the environment and suggest directions for future research.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Infective Agents; Antibiosis; Ecological and Environmental Phenomena; Humans; Soil Microbiology
PubMed: 31975454
DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14471 -
PLoS Biology Nov 2022Antimicrobial resistance is a global problem of increasing proportions that we cannot afford to look away from. This World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, we shine a light...
Antimicrobial resistance is a global problem of increasing proportions that we cannot afford to look away from. This World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, we shine a light on the crisis and ways we can all help to address it.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Global Health; Anti-Infective Agents
PubMed: 36417490
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001918 -
Theranostics 2020Carbon dots (CDots) have emerged to represent a highly promising new platform for visible/natural light-activated microbicidal agents. In this article, the syntheses,... (Review)
Review
Carbon dots (CDots) have emerged to represent a highly promising new platform for visible/natural light-activated microbicidal agents. In this article, the syntheses, structures, and properties of CDots are highlighted, representative studies on their activities against bacteria, fungi, and viruses reviewed, and the related mechanistic insights discussed. Also highlighted and discussed are the excellent opportunities for potentially extremely broad applications of this new platform, including theranostics uses.
Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Bacteria; Carbon; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Nanostructures; Quantum Dots
PubMed: 31903144
DOI: 10.7150/thno.39863 -
International Journal of Molecular... Nov 2022Infectious diseases constitute an increasing threat to public health and medical systems worldwide. Particularly, the emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens has left... (Review)
Review
Infectious diseases constitute an increasing threat to public health and medical systems worldwide. Particularly, the emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens has left the pharmaceutical arsenal unarmed to fight against such severe microbial infections. Thus, the context has called for a paradigm shift in managing bacterial, fungal, viral, and parasitic infections, leading to the collision of medicine with nanotechnology. As a result, renewed research interest has been noted in utilizing various nanoparticles as drug delivery vehicles, aiming to overcome the limitations of current treatment options. In more detail, numerous studies have loaded natural and synthetic antimicrobial agents into different inorganic, lipid, and polymeric-based nanomaterials and tested them against clinically relevant pathogens. In this respect, this paper reviews the most recently reported successfully fabricated nanoformulations that demonstrated a great potential against bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites of interest for human medicine.
Topics: Humans; Nanoparticles; Anti-Infective Agents; Polymers; Nanotechnology; Communicable Diseases
PubMed: 36430343
DOI: 10.3390/ijms232213862 -
Revista Espanola de Quimioterapia :... Oct 2022Rapid microbiologic methods provide clinicians with information regarding the causative organisms of infections and their resistance to antimicrobials to optimize... (Review)
Review
Rapid microbiologic methods provide clinicians with information regarding the causative organisms of infections and their resistance to antimicrobials to optimize patient outcomes and antimicrobial use. Diagnostic stewardship requires that appropriate tests are requested and information is translated into appropriate management. The implementation of rapid techniques also provides collaborative opportunities between antimicrobial stewardship and diagnostic stewardship programs contributing to limiting the spread of antimicrobial resistance, and decreasing mortality, hospital length of stay, and healthcare costs.
Topics: Humans; Antimicrobial Stewardship; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Infective Agents
PubMed: 36285864
DOI: 10.37201/req/s03.17.2022 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2023Fungal microbes are important in the creation of new drugs, given their unique genetic and metabolic diversity. As one of the most commonly found fungi in nature, spp.... (Review)
Review
Fungal microbes are important in the creation of new drugs, given their unique genetic and metabolic diversity. As one of the most commonly found fungi in nature, spp. has been well regarded as a prolific source of secondary metabolites (SMs) with diverse chemical structures and a broad spectrum of biological properties. However, little information is available concerning their derived SMs with antimicrobial effects. By extensive literature search and data analysis, as many as 185 antimicrobial natural products as SMs had been discovered from strains by the end of 2022. This review first provides a comprehensive analysis of these substances in terms of various antimicrobial effects, including antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antiparasitic. Future prospects for the efficient discovery of new bioactive SMs from strains are also proposed.
Topics: Fusarium; Anti-Infective Agents; Antifungal Agents; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antiviral Agents
PubMed: 37110658
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28083424 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Aug 2021One of the primary reasons for the search for new antimicrobial agents is the increasing and spreading resistance of microorganisms to previously used drugs. This is... (Review)
Review
One of the primary reasons for the search for new antimicrobial agents is the increasing and spreading resistance of microorganisms to previously used drugs. This is particularly important in the case of rapidly progressing infections that require the rapid administration of an appropriately selected antibiotic. However, along with the administration of antibiotics, complications in the disease-weakened body may arise in the form of systemic mycoses, viral infections, and protozoan infections. Therefore, there is an increasing interest among researchers focusing on the use of naturally occurring terpenic compounds in stand-alone or combined therapies with antibiotics. In this publication, the aim of our work is to present the results of a literature review on the antimicrobial activity of eucalyptol.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Infective Agents; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Eucalyptol; Humans; Mycoses
PubMed: 34443521
DOI: 10.3390/molecules26164933 -
Current HIV/AIDS Reports Aug 2019Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a potent HIV prevention strategy, but uptake of daily oral PrEP remains low. This review covers PrEP agents currently available and... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a potent HIV prevention strategy, but uptake of daily oral PrEP remains low. This review covers PrEP agents currently available and agents and modalities under investigation.
RECENT FINDINGS
Injectable ARV preparations have high acceptability among users but are likely to require adherence to 8-week interval injections. Topical microbicide gels and vaginal rings have underperformed by intention-to-treat analyses in efficacy studies, at least in large part due to challenges with adherence and/or sustained use. However, daily oral TDF-FTC also underperformed in randomized, placebo-controlled trials compared to expectations and subsequent real-world pragmatic use. On-demand (2-1-1 dosing strategy for MSM) and injectable PrEP appear to be acceptable among participants in clinical trials. These modalities are particularly compelling alternatives for individuals who either do not want to take a daily medication (both on-demand and injectable) and/or want to take PrEP without a long commitment (on-demand). Emerging modalities such as vaginal films, microneedles, and subdermal implants have numerous advantages but are still in early stages of development.
Topics: Administration, Topical; Adult; Anti-HIV Agents; Anti-Infective Agents; Contraceptive Devices, Female; Emtricitabine; Female; HIV Infections; Homosexuality, Male; Humans; Injections; Male; Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis; Sexual and Gender Minorities; Tenofovir
PubMed: 31222499
DOI: 10.1007/s11904-019-00450-9 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) May 2020The inappropriate or excessive use of antimicrobial agents caused an emerging public health problem due to the resulting resistance developed by microbes. Therefore,... (Review)
Review
The inappropriate or excessive use of antimicrobial agents caused an emerging public health problem due to the resulting resistance developed by microbes. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop effective antimicrobial strategies relying on natural agents with different mechanisms of action. Nature has been known to offer many bioactive compounds, in the form of animal venoms, algae, and plant extracts that were used for decades in traditional medicine. Animal venoms and secretions have been deeply studied for their wealth in pharmaceutically promising molecules. As such, they were reported to exhibit many biological activities of interest, such as antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory activities. In this review, we summarize recent findings on the antimicrobial activities of crude animal venoms/secretions, and describe the peptides that are responsible of these activities.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Infective Agents; Antiviral Agents; Humans; Peptides; Venoms
PubMed: 32455792
DOI: 10.3390/molecules25102402