Virus Enzymes Could Promote Human, Animal Health Aug 31, 2009
This is significant because it means non-target bacteria could be less likely to develop resistance to endolysins. Researchers at the ARS Animal Biosciences and Biotechnology Laboratory in Beltsville, Md. (Science Daily)
* Some researchers seeking a stalemate, not a cure, for cancer Aug 30, 2009
Recent research suggests that efforts to eliminate cancers may actually hasten the emergence of resistance and tumor recurrence, thus reducing a patients chances of survival. The reason arises from a component of tumor biology not ordinarily investigated: the cost of resistance to treatment ... Cancer cells pay a price when they evolve resistance to chemotherapy. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Business)
Typhoid Fever Cases In U.S. Linked To Foreign Travel Aug 27, 2009
The authors conclude: "Since most typhoid fever among patients treated in the United States is acquired abroad, ongoing surveillance may also help track global patterns of antimicrobial resistance of S Typhi. Reducing the burden of typhoid fever in the United States will require increased attention to prevention measures by travelers, including improved vaccination coverage among travelers to typhoid-endemic areas," particularly among travelers visiting friends or family in India or its... (Science Daily)
NovaBay Pharmaceuticals to Present New Data on Lead Anti-Infective Compound at the 2009 ICAAC Annual Meeting Aug 22, 2009
"These findings support the compelling therapeutic profile of NVC-422 as a broad spectrum antimicrobial agent that carries little potential for resistance through common antiseptic ," said Dr. Dmitri Debabov, poster co-author and assistant director of microbiology and acting head of biology of NovaBay Pharmaceuticals ... These highly differentiated compounds may deliver the same or better efficacy than currently used antibiotics without contributing to the growing rise of bacterial resistance... (PR Newswire)
Weekend home upgrades: fast, affordable fix-ups Aug 18, 2009
For example, Duration Home Interior Latex from Sherwin-Williams is perfect for high-traffic hallways, bathrooms, kids' rooms and anywhere long-wearing durability, antimicrobial properties and stain resistance is a must. It's tough enough to withstand repeated cleanings without visible wear, no matter what shade is selected (choose from 1,200 colors, including deep accent shades). (Ontario Argus Observer, OR)
UTSA biology researchers demystify elusive war zone bacterium Aug 17, 2009
Treatment of infected individuals was exceedingly difficult, because the bacterium was able to develop multi-drug resistance ... Such an understanding will help develop effective therapeutic strategies to disrupt biofilm formation and diminish the risk of antimicrobial resistance emergence. (EurekAlert!)
Access to adequate medical services is a right- Dr Goka Aug 7, 2009
The conference is on the general theme: "Managing Threats and Crises: The Vital Role of Pharmacy in An Unstable World." Dr Douglas Keene, Director of Strengthening Pharmaceutical Systems, spoke on "How to Engage Pharmacists in Resistance Reduction Efforts." He said today's pharmacist must not just be a dispenser but a seven-star pharmacists who must be a caregiver, decision maker, leader, manager, life-long learner and teacher. He described Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) as a complex and... (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Higher drug doses needed to defeat tuberculosis, UT Southwestern researchers report Jul 30, 2009
The researchers then used the data collected to calculate how much bacteria the drug killed before resistance emerged. They opted to focus on Pyrazinamide because physicians once used it alone to treat the disease, so there are many studies documenting precisely how the drug behaves in patients something that is unclear for some newer drugs. (EurekAlert!)
Insect is Turning Florida's Oranges Green Jul 29, 2009
Groves have been flooded with insecticide, with limited success, since resistance develops. There have also been attempts to douse trees with pheromones that disrupt the mating process. (Scientific American)
The antimicrobial effect of Octenidine-dihydrochloride coated polymer tracheotomy tubes on Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonisation Jul 26, 2009
Additionally the resistance of the OCT coating was tested using reprocessing procedures like brushing, rinsing and disinfection with glutaraldehyde. Results. (BioMed Central)
Experts support national public reporting of health-care-asociated infections Jul 22, 2009
To address antimicrobial resistant organisms, the groups have urged Congress to amend HR 3200 to include the Strategies to Address Antimicrobial Resistance (STAAR) Act, H.R. 2400, introduced earlier this year by Rep. Jim Matheson (R-UT), which will build up federal efforts on surveillance, research, and prevention and control of drug-resistant infections. (EurekAlert!)
Forever Unprepared — The Predictable Unpredictability of Pathogens Jul 9, 2009
Both organisms have flouted the most basic tenet of the field of infectious disease, our bedrock belief that resistance to antimicrobial agents is caused by exposure to those same antimicrobial agents ... And on this assumption we have built the entire public health approach to preventing the emergence of drug resistance: we preach, if. (New England Journal of Medicine)
Existing Parkinson's Disease Drug May Fight Drug-resistant TB Jul 5, 2009
Strep throat has become harder to fight using penicillin or amoxicillin, but that's not because the Streptococci have developed a resistance to those. . (Science Daily)
Nanotechnology Combats Fatal Brain Infections Jun 30, 2009
Bacteria mutate to develop resistance to antibiotics. Bacteria that are able to withstand antibiotics and other drugs are called multi drug-resistant bacteria or "superbugs". (Science Daily)
Singapore nanotechnology combats fatal brain infections Jun 29, 2009
MULTI-DRUG RESISTANT BACTERIA: Bacteria mutate to develop resistance to antibiotics. Bacteria that are able to withstand antibiotics and other drugs are called multi drug-resistant bacteria or "superbugs". (EurekAlert!)
COLUMN: Cavities and the many causes of tooth decay Jun 26, 2009
Finally, some people are more likely to get tooth decay than others; dentists refer to this factor as host resistance ... Acid from a variety of sources weakens enamel, which lowers resistance to decay ... Fluoride in water, toothpaste and mouth rinses hardens enamel increasing host resistance. (Malden Observer, MA)
Medication quality in Peru and region strengthened with official laboratory's accreditation May 22, 2009
The USP DQI Program has supported quality assurance and quality control systems in Peru through the USAID-funded Amazon Malaria Initiative since 2002 and South American Infectious Diseases Initiative since 2005, which work to improve malaria control and contain the spread of antimicrobial resistance, respectively. USAID is an independent agency that provides economic, development and humanitarian assistance around the world in support of the foreign policy goals of the United States. (EurekAlert! -- Business News)
Veterinarians At High Risk For Viral, Bacterial Infections From Animals May 19, 2009
10, 2009) Influenza A viruses (H1N1 subtype) that are resistant to the drug oseltamivir circulated widely in the US during the 2007-2008 influenza season, with an even higher prevalence of drug resistance. (Nov. (Science Daily)
Potential Anti-ulcer Herb Medicine: Rocket 'Eruca Sativa' May 15, 2009
Relapses of the malady, ineffectiveness of different drug regimens and even resistance to drugs are emerging. Thus, there is an urgent requirement to identify more effective and safe anti-ulcer agents. (Science Daily)
Quantum dots track killer sushi peptide May 12, 2009
As antimicrobial peptides target the membrane structure, pathogens can only acquire resistance by a fundamental change in membrane composition. Hence, the evolution of pathogen resistance has been a slow process. (BioMed Central)
American Chemical Society Weekly PressPac -- April 15, 2009 Apr 20, 2009
They insert themselves into cell membranes and make the membranes more stable and orderly in a way that increases cells' resistance to infection by disease-causing microbes. - AD. (EurekAlert!)
Genome Evolution Driven by Host Adaptations Results in a More Virulent and Antimicrobial-Resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotype 14 Apr 13, 2009
Serotype 14 often expresses resistance to a variety of antimicrobial agents, resulting in difficulties in treatment. To gain insight into the evolution of virulence and antimicrobial resistance traits in S. pneumoniae from the genome level, we sequenced the entire genome of a serotype 14 isolate (CGSP14), and carried out comprehensive comparison with other pneumococcal genomes ... Comparative genomic analysis revealed that the CGSP14 acquired a number of new genes by horizontal gene transfer... (BioMed Central)
Locking Parasites In Host Cell Could Be New Way To Fight Malaria Apr 13, 2009
12, 2009) Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have discovered that parasites hijack host-cell proteins to ensure their survival and proliferation, suggesting new ways to control the diseases they cause. The study, appearing this week online in Science, was led by Doron Greenbaum, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology in the Penn School of Medicine. (Science Daily)
Study finds multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria high in long-term care Apr 11, 2009
"Recently, it has become apparent that multidrug resistance among gram-negative bacteria is becoming an even greater problem in these facilities, with nearly half of long-term care facility residents harboring multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria," write the researchers, led by IFAR's Erin'O'Fallon, M.D., M.P.H., in the January issue of the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences. MDRGN infection can lead to toxins in the bloodstream that cause inflammation and destroy healthy tissue. (EurekAlert!)
Yeast Infections Worsening: Rapidly Mutating Yeast Causing More Infections Apr 7, 2009
18, 2002) Evolution of a much-maligned yeast shows that drug resistance is a predictable outcome of exposure to drugs, say University of Toronto botanists. Microbes that survive drug treatment often become. (Science Daily)
Earlier HIV Treatment Lengthens Survival: More Compelling Evidence Apr 5, 2009
In the past, recommendations for when to start antiretroviral therapy shifted to waiting until later in HIV disease to lower CD4+ counts because of concern for resistance and toxicities of treatment. New treatments, however, are more potent, have fewer side effects and have to be taken less frequently, said Kitahata. (Science Daily)
Transmission Of Drug Resistant HIV-1 Apr 4, 2009
"Our results indicate that although the incidence of drug resistance has been declining, this might not continue - which could have implications for planning and management of treatment programmes." ... Specific mutations in the HIV genome confer resistance to individual. (Science Daily)
Potential Magic Bullet For MRSA Treatment Apr 4, 2009
In addition to being far more effective at killing the bacteria, the new drug has the potential to prevent bacteria from producing tissue-damaging toxins; the mechanism of killing also means that it is very unlikely that bacteria can develop resistance to this treatment. "The results from laboratory studies are very encouraging and indicate that this technique might be effective at treating topical infections such as wound and burn infections," said Ms Dekker, "This work will require in vivo... (Science Daily)
More compelling evidence on why earlier HIV treatment lengthens survival Apr 3, 2009
Recommendations for when to start antiretroviral therapy shifted to waiting until later in HIV disease to low CD4+ counts because of concern for resistance and toxicities of treatment. The drugs are now safer and the evidence mounting from our data and other data suggests it makes sense to start therapy earlier and that the side effects of treatment are less deleterious than untreated HIV infection, said Kitahata. (EurekAlert!)
Roche to Introduce New LightCycler(R) MRSA Advanced Test in the EU Apr 2, 2009
Estimates suggest that 4 million HAIs and 37,000 deaths are attributable to these infections each year in the EU, and that 1 out of 10 patients in an EU hospital acquires an HAI. Antimicrobial resistance and HAIs, either combined or separately, constitute a major infectious disease problem in the EU, and show signs of becoming more prevalent in the future. (i) MRSA infections are a tremendous burden for healthcare systems and hospitals and are associated with significant healthcare costs. (PR Newswire)
New Research Highlights New Way to Kill Superbugs Apr 2, 2009
"Due to the growing resistance of many organisms to antibiotics, this approach may be the only one available for use against microbes resistant to all known antibiotics." ... The treatment also appears to have the potential to prevent bacteria from producing tissue-damaging toxins, and the way in which it targets cells makes it more difficult for bacteria to develop resistance to it, the researchers said. (MEDLINEplus)
Amphibians may develop immunity to fatal fungus Apr 1, 2009
Recent preliminary evidence, described in the April issue of BioScience, suggests also that individual amphibians can sometimes develop resistance to chytridiomycosis, which is caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Jonathan Q. Richmond, of the US Geological Survey, and three coauthors argue that researchers should broaden their studies of chytridiomycosis to include so-called acquired immunity, because this might improve predictive models of Bd's spread and so suggest ways to... (EurekAlert!)
Drug Used To Treat Skin Conditions Is A Marine Pollutant Mar 27, 2009
Antibiotics have been the traditional treatment for the skin disorder rosacea, but patients often develop antibiotic resistance to the drugs. A drug. (Science Daily)
Vitamin D might be helpful for dialysis patients (36) Mar 25, 2009
These antimicrobial peptides have been the source of considerable research in recent years, in part because pathogens rarely develop resistance to them. The two primary killers of dialysis patients are heart attacks and infections, which often begin around catheters, said Adrian Gombart, an expert on vitamin D and associate professor in the Linus Pauling Institute. (Corvallis Gazette Times, OR)
Eradicating Hospital Acquired Infec... Mar 24, 2009
Approximately 6% of hospitalizations result in Methicillin-Resistance Staphylococcus Areus (MRSA), 14% result in blood stream infections, and 32% result in urinary tract infections ... However, over the years the antibiotics created what is called "resistance" ... This resistance resulted as bacteria changed their composition (mutation) which made them more vulnerable to attack by antibiotics. (Suite101.com)
CDC analysis finds unique social and behavior intervention helps reduce MRSA rates up to 62 percent Mar 23, 2009
"Reports of successful multicenter interventions to reduce endemic antimicrobial resistance problems among U.S. hospitals are extremely rare," says John A. Jernigan, MD, MS, an epidemiologist at the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and part of the CDC team that conducted the analysis. "These extremely encouraging findings add to a growing body of evidence that hospitals can make a difference in their endemic MRSA rates, and further might be able to improve the chances... (EurekAlert!)
Synthetic Biology Can Help Extend Anti-malaria Drug Effectiveness Mar 12, 2009
Restricting access to this technology to responsible manufacturers who will bundle artemisinin as part of an anti-malarial drug cocktail rather than selling it as a monotherapy should delay or even prevent malaria parasites from developing resistance. Recently, there have been reports of malaria parasites in West Africa showing some signs of resistance to artemisinin ... Any drug that is used as a monotherapy raises the possibility of microbes developing resistance to it. (Science Daily)
Nanosensors Quickly Detect Possible DNA Mutations Mar 11, 2009
4, 2004) Potential antimicrobial resistance in the bacteria that cause gonorrhea can be detected without culturing the organism, thanks to a rapid test developed by researchers at Johns. (Apr. (Science Daily)
Turmeric Ingredient Makes Membranes Behave For Better Health Mar 9, 2009
Now, University of Michigan researchers led by Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy have discovered that curcumin acts as a disciplinarian, inserting itself into cell membranes and making them more orderly, a move that improves cells' resistance to infection and malignancy. "The membrane goes from being crazy and floppy to being more disciplined and ordered, so that information flow through it can be controlled," said Ramamoorthy, a professor of chemistry and biophysics. (Science Daily)
NovaBay Pharmaceuticals Announces Lead Anti-infective Product Candidate, NVC-422, Shown to be Effective in Treating Topical Fungal Infection Mar 8, 2009
March 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE Alternext: NBY), a mid-stage biopharmaceutical company developing first-in-class, novel, synthetic anti-infective products for the treatment and prevention of a wide range of bacterial, fungal, and viral infections without developing resistance, today announced preclinical animal data showing that NVC-422, the Company's lead Aganocide(R) compound, was effective in treating subcutaneous dermatophyte (skin fungus) infections ...... (PR Newswire)
Keep antibiotics off of our tables Mar 1, 2009
The American Medical Association, the American Public Health Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics are among 350 organizations that have endorsed efforts to stop the use of antibiotics in animal production - as it is leading to increased rates of antibiotic resistance in humans, making otherwise treatable illnesses harder to treat. Bill Niman had it right when he set out to produce food that is better for the planet and for people. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Opinion)
Biomedical research center opens in Liverpool Feb 11, 2009
Research will also include identification of the factors that cause HIV patients to develop resistance to drug therapies. Tony Bell, Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals Trust Chief Executive, said: "There has been groundbreaking medical research going on in Liverpool for many years. The new Biomedical Research Centre acknowledges the excellence of that work and gives us the opportunity to make a much bigger impact on the treatment of infections worldwide. I am delighted to be... (EurekAlert! -- Business News)
New Hope For Immunocompromised Individuals With Drug-resistant Fungal Infections Feb 11, 2009
The development of effective antifungal drugs is limited by humans' close evolutionary relationship with fungi, and, in recent years, fungi's ever-evolving resistance to existing drugs. Former Lindquist postdoctoral researcher and lead author of this study, Leah Cowen, explains: "The drugs just don't wipe out the infection. So you wind up with a small population of fungi living in a host that is exposed to the drug for a long time, which favors evolution of drug resistance." ... Previous studies... (Science Daily)
Fat of the matter Feb 8, 2009
Ghafoorunissa said studies to evaluate the effects of trans fats in vanaspati in India showed butter and ghee and trans fats increased insulin resistance. Trans fats were found to be worse because they inhibit metabolism of an essential fatty acid called omega 6, which helps the cell membrane function properly. (MorungExpress)
Search For More Effective Tuberculosis Drugs Feb 7, 2009
If patients don't take the full course of the medicines, the TB bacteria may develop resistance to the drugs and become even more difficult to treat. To reduce that risk, many countries require that patients go to a clinic so a healthcare professional can watch them take the medication and ensure they are complying with their drug-treatment regimen. (Science Daily)
