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Nuclear Medicine and Biology 2023Ubiquicidin is a peptide fragment with selective binding to negatively charged bacterial cell membranes. Besides its earlier labelling with gamma emitting radionuclides,...
BACKGROUND
Ubiquicidin is a peptide fragment with selective binding to negatively charged bacterial cell membranes. Besides its earlier labelling with gamma emitting radionuclides, it has been labelled with Positron Emission Tomography (PET) radionuclides in the last decade for imaging infection and distinguishing infectious disease from sterile inflammation. This systematic review aims to evaluate the technology readiness level of PET based ubiquicidin radiopharmaceuticals.
METHODS
Two independent researchers reviewed all articles and abstracts pertaining ubiquicidin and PET imaging that are currently available. Scopus, Google Scholar and PubMed/Medline were used in the search. Upon completion of the literature search all articles and abstracts were evaluated and duplicates were excluded. All non-PET articles as well as review articles without new data were deemed ineligible.
RESULTS
From a total of 17 papers and 10 abstracts the studies were grouped into development, preclinical and clinical studies. Development was published in 15/17 (88%) publications and 6/10 (60%) abstracts, preclinical applications in 9/17 (53%) publications and 1/10 (10%) of abstracts. Finally, clinical studies made up 6/17 (35%) of full publications and 4/10 (40%) of the available abstracts. Development results were the most abundant. All the findings in the different areas of development of ubiquicidin as PET radiopharmaceutical are summarized in this paper.
CONCLUSION
Labelling procedures are generally uncomplicated and relatively fast and there are indications of adequate product stability. The production of PET radiopharmaceuticals based on UBI will therefore not be a barrier for clinical introduction of this technology. Systematization and unification of criteria for preclinical imaging and larger clinical trials are needed to ensure the translation of this radiopharmaceutical into the clinic. Therefore a conclusion with regards to the clinical relevance of ubiquicidin based PET is not yet possible.
Topics: Humans; Radiopharmaceuticals; Positron-Emission Tomography; Ribosomal Proteins; Inflammation
PubMed: 36435145
DOI: 10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2022.11.001 -
Journal of Medical Microbiology Nov 2022Millions of antibiotic prescriptions are written annually in the USA. Probiotics reduce antibiotic-induced gastrointestinal side effects; however, the effect of...
Millions of antibiotic prescriptions are written annually in the USA. Probiotics reduce antibiotic-induced gastrointestinal side effects; however, the effect of probiotics on preserving gut microbial composition in response to antibiotics is not well understood. To evaluate whether the addition of probiotics is capable of reverting the changes in alpha diversity and gut microbial composition commonly observed in adult participants receiving antibiotics. A search was conducted by two researchers following the PRISMA guidelines using PubMed, Science Direct, Cochrane and Embase from January to December 2021 with the following inclusion criteria: (i) randomized clinical trials assessing the effect of antibiotics, probiotics or antibiotics+probiotics; (ii) 16S rRNA; (iii) adult participants; and (iv) in English. Once data was extracted in tables, a third researcher compared, evaluated and merged the collected data. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) rating system was utilized to analyse risk of bias. A total of 29 articles (=11 antibiotics, =11 probiotics and =7 antibiotics+probiotics) met the inclusion criteria. The lack of standardization of protocols to analyse the gut microbial composition and the wide range of selected antibiotics/probiotics complicated data interpretation; however, despite these discrepancies, probiotic co-administration with antibiotics seemed to prevent some, but not all, of the gut microbial diversity and composition changes induced by antibiotics, including restoration of health-related bacteria such as . Addition of probiotics to antibiotic interventions seems to preserve alpha diversity and ameliorate the changes to gut microbial composition caused by antibiotic interventions.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Probiotics; Gastrointestinal Tract
PubMed: 36382780
DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.001625 -
BMC Microbiology Nov 2022Dozens of studies have demonstrated gut dysbiosis in COVID-19 patients during the acute and recovery phases. However, a consensus on the specific COVID-19 associated... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Dozens of studies have demonstrated gut dysbiosis in COVID-19 patients during the acute and recovery phases. However, a consensus on the specific COVID-19 associated bacteria is missing. In this study, we performed a meta-analysis to explore whether robust and reproducible alterations in the gut microbiota of COVID-19 patients exist across different populations.
METHODS
A systematic review was conducted for studies published prior to May 2022 in electronic databases. After review, we included 16 studies that comparing the gut microbiota in COVID-19 patients to those of controls. The 16S rRNA sequence data of these studies were then re-analyzed using a standardized workflow and synthesized by meta-analysis.
RESULTS
We found that gut bacterial diversity of COVID-19 patients in both the acute and recovery phases was consistently lower than non-COVID-19 individuals. Microbial differential abundance analysis showed depletion of anti-inflammatory butyrate-producing bacteria and enrichment of taxa with pro-inflammatory properties in COVID-19 patients during the acute phase compared to non-COVID-19 individuals. Analysis of microbial communities showed that the gut microbiota of COVID-19 recovered patients were still in unhealthy ecostates.
CONCLUSIONS
Our results provided a comprehensive synthesis to better understand gut microbial perturbations associated with COVID-19 and identified underlying biomarkers for microbiome-based diagnostics and therapeutics.
Topics: Humans; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; COVID-19; Dysbiosis; Bacteria; Feces
PubMed: 36376804
DOI: 10.1186/s12866-022-02686-9 -
Journal of Microbiological Methods Dec 2022Consumers demand more fresh, safe, and high-quality food. As this is partiallycorrelated to the microbial profile, several microbiological examination tools are... (Review)
Review
Consumers demand more fresh, safe, and high-quality food. As this is partiallycorrelated to the microbial profile, several microbiological examination tools are available. Incontrast to meat, no microbiological normalized methods to assess the microbiological quality of fresh marine fish have been agreed on. As a result, studies on the detection and diversity of spoilage associated organisms (SAOs) in fish often apply various detection, isolation, and identification techniques. This complicates the comparison and interpretation of data reported, and often results in different or inconclusive results. Therefore, the present review aimed to present a critical overview of the isolation/cultivation and detection techniques currently applied in fish microbiology. After a comprehensive search in the PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus databases, a total of 111 studies fulfilled the review selection criteria. Results revealed that when relying on culture media for the isolation of SAOs in fish, it is essential to include a salt-containing medium next to plate count agar that is currently used as the reference medium for the enumeration of bacteria on fish. In terms of identification, MALDI-TOF MS and 16S rRNA gene sequencing are currently the most promising tools, though other housekeeping genes should be targeted as well, and, the biggest challenge at this point is still the lack of comprehensive proteomic and sequence databases for SAOs. A full replacement of cultivation by next generation sequencing is difficult to recommend due to the absence of a standardized experimental methodology, especially for fish, and the relatively high sequencing costs. Additionally, a discrepancy between culture-dependent and independent methods in revealing the bacterial diversity, and abundancy, from marine fish was demonstrated by several authors. It is therefore recommended to consider both approaches as complements of one another, rather than substitutes, and to include them simultaneously to yield more complete results regarding the SAOs in fresh marine fish. As such, a thorough understanding of the biology of spoilage organisms and process will be obtained to prolong the shelf-life and deliver a high-quality product.
Topics: Animals; Bacteria; Fishes; Food Microbiology; Meat; Proteomics; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
PubMed: 36243229
DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2022.106599 -
Critical Reviews in Food Science and... 2024Flaxseed ( L.) has been associated with numerous health benefits. The flax plant synthesizes an array of biologically active compounds including peptides or linusorbs...
Flaxseed ( L.) has been associated with numerous health benefits. The flax plant synthesizes an array of biologically active compounds including peptides or linusorbs (LOs, ., cyclolinopeptides), lignans, soluble dietary fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. The LOs arise from post-translational modification of four or more ribosome-derived precursors. These compounds exhibit an array of biological activities, including suppression of T-cell proliferation, excessive inflammation, and osteoclast replication as well as induction of apoptosis in some cancer cell lines. The mechanisms of LO action are only now being elucidated but these compounds might interact with other active compounds in flaxseed and contribute to biological activity attributed to other flax compounds. This review focuses on both the biological interaction of LOs with proteins and other molecules and comprehensive knowledge of LO pharmacological and biological properties. The physicochemical and nutraceutical properties of LOs, as well as the biological effects of certain LOs, and their underlying mechanisms of action, are reviewed. Finally, strategies for producing LOs by either peptide synthesis or recombinant organisms are presented. This review will be the first to describe LOs as a versatile scaffold for the action of compounds to deliver physiochemically/biologically active molecules for developing novel nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals.
Topics: Flax; Seeds; Peptides; Dietary Supplements; Lignans
PubMed: 36193986
DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2022.2119363 -
Nutrients Sep 2022Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the most devastating gastrointestinal emergency in preterm neonates. Research on early predictive biomarkers is fundamental. This is a... (Review)
Review
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the most devastating gastrointestinal emergency in preterm neonates. Research on early predictive biomarkers is fundamental. This is a systematic review of studies applying untargeted metabolomics and gut microbiota analysis to evaluate the differences between neonates affected by NEC (Bell’s stage II or III), and/or by spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP) versus healthy controls. Five studies applying metabolomics (43 cases, 95 preterm controls) and 20 applying gut microbiota analysis (254 cases, 651 preterm controls, 22 term controls) were selected. Metabolomic studies utilized NMR spectroscopy or mass spectrometry. An early urinary alanine/histidine ratio >4 showed good sensitivity and predictive value for NEC in one study. Samples collected in proximity to NEC diagnosis demonstrated variable pathways potentially related to NEC. In studies applying untargeted gut microbiota analysis, the sequencing of the V3−V4 or V3 to V5 regions of the 16S rRNA was the most used technique. At phylum level, NEC specimens were characterized by increased relative abundance of Proteobacteria compared to controls. At genus level, pre-NEC samples were characterized by a lack or decreased abundance of Bifidobacterium. Finally, at the species level Bacteroides dorei, Clostridium perfringens and perfringens-like strains dominated early NEC specimens, whereas Clostridium butyricum, neonatale and Propionibacterium acnei those at disease diagnosis. Six studies found a lower Shannon diversity index in cases than controls. A clear separation of cases from controls emerged based on UniFrac metrics in five out of seven studies. Importantly, no studies compared NEC versus SIP. Untargeted metabolomics and gut microbiota analysis are interrelated strategies to investigate NEC pathophysiology and identify potential biomarkers. Expression of quantitative measurements, data sharing via biorepositories and validation studies are fundamental to guarantee consistent comparison of results.
Topics: Alanine; Biomarkers; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Histidine; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Newborn, Diseases; Intestinal Perforation; Metabolome; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
PubMed: 36145235
DOI: 10.3390/nu14183859 -
International Journal of Environmental... Sep 2022Recent advances in the development of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, such as the 16S rRNA gene sequencing, have enabled significant progress in... (Review)
Review
Recent advances in the development of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, such as the 16S rRNA gene sequencing, have enabled significant progress in characterizing the architecture of the oral microbiome. Understanding the taxonomic and functional components of the oral microbiome, especially during early childhood development, is becoming critical for identifying the interactions and adaptations of bacterial communities to dynamic conditions that may lead to the dysfunction of the host environment, thereby contributing to the onset and/or progression of a wide range of pathological conditions. We aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the most recent evidence from studies of the oral microbiome of infants and young children, focusing on the development of oral microbiome in the window of birth to 18 years, focusing on infants. A systematic literature search was conducted in , , , and the WHO clinical trial website for relevant articles published between 2006 to 2022 to identify studies that examined genome-wide transcriptome of the oral microbiome in birth, early childhood, and adolescence performed via 16s rRNA sequence analysis. In addition, the references of selected articles were screened for other relevant studies. This systematic review was performed in accordance PRISMA guidelines. Data extraction and quality assessment were independently conducted by two authors, and a third author resolved discrepancies. Overall, 34 studies were included in this systematic review. Due to a considerable heterogeneity in study population, design, and outcome measures, a formal meta-analysis was not carried out. The current evidence indicates that a core microbiome is present in newborns, and it is stable in species number. Disparity about delivery mode influence are found. Further investigations are needed.
Topics: Adolescent; Bacteria; Child; Child, Preschool; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Microbiota; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
PubMed: 36141674
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191811403 -
Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil) 2022The increase in the incidence of pancreatic and biliary cancers has attracted the search for methods of early detection of diseases and biomarkers. The authors propose... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
The increase in the incidence of pancreatic and biliary cancers has attracted the search for methods of early detection of diseases and biomarkers. The authors propose to analyze new findings on the association between microbiota and Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) or Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA).
METHODS
This systematic review was carried out according to the items of Preferred Reports for Systematic Reviews and Protocol Meta-Analysis (PRISMA-P). This study was registered by the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), identification code CRD42020192748 before the review was carried out. Articles were selected from the PUBMED, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases.
RESULTS
Most studies (86.67%) used 16s rRNA as a sequencing method. The main comorbidities found were diabetes mellitus, systemic arterial hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Many studies were limited by the small number of participants, but the biases were mostly low. There was very little concordance about the composition of the microbiome of different sites, for both case and control groups when compared to other studies' results. Bile sample analysis was the one with a greater agreement between studies, as three out of four studies found Escherichia in cases of CCA.
CONCLUSION
There was great disagreement in the characterization of both the microbiota of cases and control groups. Studies are still scarce, making it difficult to adequately assess the data in this regard. It was not possible to specify any marker or to associate any genus of microbiota bacteria with PDAC or CCA.
Topics: Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal; Humans; Microbiota; Pancreatic Neoplasms; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Syndrome
PubMed: 36122499
DOI: 10.1016/j.clinsp.2022.100101 -
Nutrients Sep 2022Pectin is a dietary fiber, and its health effects have been described extensively. Although there are limited clinical studies, there is a growing body of evidence from... (Review)
Review
Pectin is a dietary fiber, and its health effects have been described extensively. Although there are limited clinical studies, there is a growing body of evidence from in vitro studies investigating the effect of pectin on human gut microbiota. This comprehensive review summarizes the findings of gut microbiota modulation in vitro as assessed by 16S rRNA gene-based technologies and elucidates the potential structure-activity relationships. Generally, pectic substrates are slowly but completely fermented, with a greater production of acetate compared with other fibers. Their fermentation, either directly or by cross-feeding interactions, results in the increased abundances of gut bacterial communities such as the family of , the and genera, and species such as and , where the specific stimulation of and is unique to pectic substrates. Furthermore, the degree of methyl esterification, the homogalacturonan-to-rhamnogalacturonan ratio, and the molecular weight are the most influential structural factors on the gut microbiota. The latter particularly influences the growth of spp. The prebiotic potential of pectin targeting specific gut bacteria beneficial for human health and well-being still needs to be confirmed in humans, including the relationship between its structural features and activity.
Topics: Bacteria; Clostridiales; Feces; Fermentation; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humans; Pectins; Prebiotics; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
PubMed: 36079886
DOI: 10.3390/nu14173629 -
International Journal of Molecular... Aug 2022In healthy women, the cervicovaginal microbiota is characterized by the predominance of spp., whereas the overgrowth of anaerobic bacteria leads to dysbiosis, known to... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
In healthy women, the cervicovaginal microbiota is characterized by the predominance of spp., whereas the overgrowth of anaerobic bacteria leads to dysbiosis, known to increase the risk of acquiring genital infections like . In the last decade, a growing body of research has investigated the composition of the cervicovaginal microbiota associated with chlamydial infection via 16s rDNA sequencing, with contrasting results. A systematic review and a meta-analysis, performed on the alpha-diversity indices, were conducted to summarize the scientific evidence on the cervicovaginal microbiota composition in infection. Databases PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were searched with the following strategy: "Chlamydia trachomatis" AND "micro*". The diversity indices considered for the meta-analysis were Operational Taxonomic Unit (OTU) number, Chao1, phylogenetic diversity whole tree, Shannon's, Pielou's and Simpson's diversity indexes. The search yielded 425 abstracts for initial review, of which 16 met the inclusion criteria. The results suggested that the cervicovaginal microbiota in -positive women was characterized by dominance, or by a diverse mix of facultative or strict anaerobes. The meta-analysis, instead, did not show any difference in the microbial biodiversity between -positive and healthy women. Additional research is clearly required to deepen our knowledge on the interplay between the resident microflora and in the genital microenvironment.
Topics: Chlamydia Infections; Chlamydia trachomatis; Female; Humans; Microbiota; Phylogeny; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Vagina
PubMed: 36076948
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23179554