-
Clinical Microbiology and Infection :... May 2016For several years, alarmist articles both in mass media and in the scientific community have reported an increase in antibiotic resistance, even citing an inability to... (Review)
Review
For several years, alarmist articles both in mass media and in the scientific community have reported an increase in antibiotic resistance, even citing an inability to treat patients infected with multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDR) responsible for high mortality worldwide. In this review we summarize and discuss the key points associated with the reality of (i) the existence of pandrug-resistant bacteria, (ii) the increase of resistance worldwide, (iii) the link between resistance and death, and (iv) the need to develop new antibiotics. Data on antibiotic resistance in Europe for the main bacteria associated with invasive infections apparently demonstrate that apart from Klebsiella pneumoniae, which is resistant to carbapenems in three countries (Romania, Italy and Greece), the level of resistance to three or more classes of antibiotics (defined as MDR phenotype) has remained low and stable over the last 5 years and that therapeutic options exist both for reference antibiotics and for old antibiotics. The clinical outcome of patients infected by MDR bacteria remains controversial and death rates attributable to MDR bacteria versus non-MDR bacteria are still debated. The arsenal of antibiotics currently available (including 'old antibiotics') suffices for facing the waves of emergence of new bacterial resistance and should be considered as a World Heritage. This heritage should be managed in a non-profit model with international regulatory approval.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacterial Infections; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; Europe; Humans; Incidence; Prevalence; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 27021418
DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2016.03.012 -
The Medical Journal of Australia Apr 2020Bacteriophage (phage) therapy is re-emerging a century after it began. Activity against antibiotic-resistant pathogens and a lack of serious side effects make phage... (Review)
Review
Bacteriophage (phage) therapy is re-emerging a century after it began. Activity against antibiotic-resistant pathogens and a lack of serious side effects make phage therapy an attractive treatment option in refractory bacterial infections. Phages are highly specific for their bacterial targets, but the relationship between in vitro activity and in vivo efficacy remains to be rigorously evaluated. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic principles of phage therapy are generally based on the classic predator-prey relationship, but numerous other factors contribute to phage clearance and optimal dosing strategies remain unclear. Combinations of fully characterised, exclusively lytic phages prepared under good manufacturing practice are limited in their availability. Safety has been demonstrated but randomised controlled trials are needed to evaluate efficacy.
Topics: Bacterial Infections; Bacteriophages; Humans; Phage Therapy
PubMed: 31587298
DOI: 10.5694/mja2.50355 -
Journal of Korean Medical Science Oct 2013The inflammasome is a multi-protein complex that induces maturation of inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 through activation of caspase-1. Several... (Review)
Review
The inflammasome is a multi-protein complex that induces maturation of inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 through activation of caspase-1. Several nucleotide binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family members, including NLRP3, recognize unique microbial and danger components and play a central role in inflammasome activation. The NLRP3 inflammasome is critical for maintenance of homeostasis against pathogenic infections. However, inflammasome activation acts as a double-edged sword for various bacterial infections. When the IL-1 family of cytokines is secreted excessively, they cause tissue damage and extensive inflammatory responses that are potentially hazardous for the host. Emerging evidence has shown that diverse bacterial pathogens or their components negatively regulate inflammasome activation to escape the immune response. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge of the roles and regulation of the NLRP3 inflammasome during bacterial infections. Activation and regulation of the NLRP3 inflammasome should be tightly controlled to prevent virulence and pathology during infections. Understanding the roles and regulatory mechanisms of the NLRP3 inflammasome is essential for developing potential treatment approaches against pathogenic infections.
Topics: Bacterial Infections; Carrier Proteins; Caspase 1; Humans; Inflammasomes; Interleukin-1beta; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 24133343
DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2013.28.10.1415 -
Epidemiology and Infection May 2024
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Humans; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Bacterial Infections; Bacteria
PubMed: 38712589
DOI: 10.1017/S0950268824000530 -
Viruses Apr 2018The ability of agriculture to continually provide food to a growing world population is of crucial importance. Bacterial diseases of plants and animals have continually... (Review)
Review
The ability of agriculture to continually provide food to a growing world population is of crucial importance. Bacterial diseases of plants and animals have continually reduced production since the advent of crop cultivation and animal husbandry practices. Antibiotics have been used extensively to mitigate these losses. The rise of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacteria, however, together with consumers’ calls for antibiotic-free products, presents problems that threaten sustainable agriculture. Bacteriophages (phages) are proposed as bacterial population control alternatives to antibiotics. Their unique properties make them highly promising but challenging antimicrobials. The use of phages in agriculture also presents a number of unique challenges. This mini-review summarizes recent development and perspectives of phages used as antimicrobial agents in plant and animal agriculture at the farm level. The main pathogens and their adjoining phage therapies are discussed.
Topics: Agriculture; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteria; Bacterial Infections; Bacteriophages; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Humans; Phage Therapy
PubMed: 29693561
DOI: 10.3390/v10050218 -
Clinical Microbiology Reviews Jul 2014Bacterial pathogens are important targets for detection and identification in medicine, food safety, public health, and security. Bacterial infection is a common cause... (Review)
Review
Bacterial pathogens are important targets for detection and identification in medicine, food safety, public health, and security. Bacterial infection is a common cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In spite of the availability of antibiotics, these infections are often misdiagnosed or there is an unacceptable delay in diagnosis. Current methods of bacterial detection rely upon laboratory-based techniques such as cell culture, microscopic analysis, and biochemical assays. These procedures are time-consuming and costly and require specialist equipment and trained users. Portable stand-alone biosensors can facilitate rapid detection and diagnosis at the point of care. Biosensors will be particularly useful where a clear diagnosis informs treatment, in critical illness (e.g., meningitis) or to prevent further disease spread (e.g., in case of food-borne pathogens or sexually transmitted diseases). Detection of bacteria is also becoming increasingly important in antibioterrorism measures (e.g., anthrax detection). In this review, we discuss recent progress in the use of biosensors for the detection of whole bacterial cells for sensitive and earlier identification of bacteria without the need for sample processing. There is a particular focus on electrochemical biosensors, especially impedance-based systems, as these present key advantages in terms of ease of miniaturization, lack of reagents, sensitivity, and low cost.
Topics: Animals; Bacteria; Bacterial Infections; Biosensing Techniques; Humans
PubMed: 24982325
DOI: 10.1128/CMR.00120-13 -
British Medical Journal (Clinical... Jul 1986
Topics: Bacterial Infections; England; History, 20th Century; Penicillins
PubMed: 3089435
DOI: 10.1136/bmj.293.6540.158 -
EBioMedicine Dec 2018Respiratory tract infections represent a significant public health risk, and timely and accurate detection of bacterial infections facilitates rapid therapeutic...
BACKGROUND
Respiratory tract infections represent a significant public health risk, and timely and accurate detection of bacterial infections facilitates rapid therapeutic intervention. Furthermore, monitoring the progression of infections after intervention enables 'course correction' in cases where initial treatments are ineffective, avoiding unnecessary drug dosing that can contribute to antibiotic resistance. However, current diagnostic and monitoring techniques rely on non-specific or slow readouts, such as radiographic imaging and sputum cultures, which fail to specifically identify bacterial infections and take several days to identify optimal antibiotic treatments.
METHODS
Here we describe a nanoparticle system that detects P. aeruginosa lung infections by sensing host and bacterial protease activity in vivo, and that delivers a urinary detection readout. One protease sensor is comprised of a peptide substrate for the P. aeruginosa protease LasA. A second sensor designed to detect elastases is responsive to recombinant neutrophil elastase and secreted proteases from bacterial strains.
FINDINGS
In mice infected with P. aeruginosa, nanoparticle formulations of these protease sensors-termed activity-based nanosensors (ABNs)-detect infections and monitor bacterial clearance from the lungs over time. Additionally, ABNs differentiate between appropriate and ineffective antibiotic treatments acutely, within hours after the initiation of therapy.
INTERPRETATION
These findings demonstrate how activity measurements of disease-associated proteases can provide a noninvasive window into the dynamic process of bacterial infection and resolution, offering an opportunity for detecting, monitoring, and characterizing lung infections. FUND: National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteria; Bacterial Infections; Biosensing Techniques; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Humans; Mice; Nanoparticles; Peptide Hydrolases; Pseudomonas Infections; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; ROC Curve; Substrate Specificity; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 30503861
DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2018.11.031 -
International Journal of Molecular... Nov 2019The discovery of penicillin began the age of antibiotics, which was a turning point in human healthcare. However, to this day, microbial infections are still a concern... (Review)
Review
The discovery of penicillin began the age of antibiotics, which was a turning point in human healthcare. However, to this day, microbial infections are still a concern throughout the world, and the rise of multidrug-resistant organisms is an increasing challenge. To combat this threat, diagnostic imaging tools could be used to verify the causative organism and curb inappropriate use of antimicrobial drugs. Nuclear imaging offers the sensitivity needed to detect small numbers of bacteria in situ. Among nuclear imaging tools, radiolabeled antibiotics traditionally have lacked the sensitivity or specificity necessary to diagnose bacterial infections accurately. One reason for the lack of success is that the antibiotics were often chelated to a radiometal. This was done without addressing the ramifications of how the radiolabeling would impact probe entry to the bacterial cell, or the mechanism of binding to an intracellular target. In this review, we approach bacterial infection imaging through the lens of bacterial specific molecular targets, their intracellular or extracellular location, and discuss radiochemistry strategies to guide future probe development.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteria; Bacterial Infections; Diagnostic Imaging; Drug Discovery; Humans; Penicillins
PubMed: 31752318
DOI: 10.3390/ijms20225808 -
Microbiology Spectrum Aug 2016Alteration in the host microbiome at skin and mucosal surfaces plays a role in the function of the immune system, and may predispose immunocompromised patients to... (Review)
Review
Alteration in the host microbiome at skin and mucosal surfaces plays a role in the function of the immune system, and may predispose immunocompromised patients to infection. Because obligate anaerobes are the predominant type of bacteria present in humans at skin and mucosal surfaces, immunocompromised patients are at increased risk for serious invasive infection due to anaerobes. Laboratory approaches to the diagnosis of anaerobe infections that occur due to pyogenic, polymicrobial, or toxin-producing organisms are described. The clinical interpretation and limitations of anaerobe recovery from specimens, anaerobe-identification procedures, and antibiotic-susceptibility testing are outlined. Bacteriotherapy following analysis of disruption of the host microbiome has been effective for treatment of refractory or recurrent Clostridium difficile infection, and may become feasible for other conditions in the future.
Topics: Bacteria, Anaerobic; Bacterial Infections; Bacteriological Techniques; Disease Susceptibility; Humans; Immunocompromised Host
PubMed: 27726792
DOI: 10.1128/microbiolspec.DMIH2-0015-2015