Search Results for: antibiotic resistan

Author: Macfarlane, S. Description: Antibiotic therapies are important in combating disease-causing microorganisms and maintaining host health. It is widely accepted that exposure of the gut microbiota to antibiotics can lead to decreased susceptibility and the development of multi-drug-resistant disease-causing organisms, which can be a major clinical problem. It is also important to consider that antibiotics not only target pathogenic bacteria in the gut, but also can have damaging effects on the ecology of commensal species. This can reduce intrinsic colonization resistance and contribute to problems with antibiotic resistance, including lateral…

Author: Wilson, D.N. Description: The ribosome is one of the main antibiotic targets in the bacterial cell. Crystal structures of naturally produced antibiotics and their semi-synthetic derivatives bound to ribosomal particles have provided unparalleled insight into their mechanisms of action, and they are also facilitating the design of more effective antibiotics for targeting multidrug-resistant bacteria. In this Review, I discuss the recent structural insights into the mechanism of action of ribosome-targeting antibiotics and the molecular mechanisms of bacterial resistance, in addition to the approaches that are being pursued for the…

Author: Ubeda, C.; Pamer, E.G. Description: The gastrointestinal tract microbiota contributes to the development and differentiation of the mammalian immune system. The composition of the microbiota affects immune responses and affects susceptibility to infection by intestinal pathogens and development of allergic and inflammatory bowel diseases. Antibiotic administration, while facilitating clearance of targeted infections, also perturbs commensal microbial communities and decreases host resistance to antibiotic-resistant microbes. Here, we review recent advances that begin to define the interactions between complex intestinal microbial populations and the mammalian immune system and how this relation…

Author: Kakasis, Athanasios; Panitsa, Gerasimia Description: Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect bacteria. They were discovered around a century ago and have been used ever since for therapeutic purposes, particularly in former Soviet Union countries. Their use in Western countries was abandoned after the discovery and broad use of penicillin. The rising problem of antimicrobial resistance has revived interest in bacteriophage therapy. The aim of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of all aspects of natural phage therapy. Subject headings: Animals; Bacteria; Bacterial Infections; Bacteriophages; Humans; Phage…

Author: Perez-Cobas, A.E.; Moya, A.; Gosalbes, M.J.; Latorre, A. Description: Antibiotics strongly disrupt the human gut microbiota, which in consequence loses its colonization resistance capacity, allowing infection by opportunistic pathogens such as Clostridium difficile. This bacterium is the main cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and a current problem in developed countries, since its incidence and severity have increased during the last years. Furthermore, the emergence of antibiotic resistance strains has reduced the efficiency of the standard treatment with antibiotics, leading to a higher rate of relapses. Here, we review recent efforts…

Author: Spellberg, B.; Shlaes, D. Description: As a result of declining new antibacterial approvals and rising antibiotic resistance, society clearly needs new treatments for bacterial infections. Specific areas of unmet need evolve over time owing to changes in resistance patterns and treatment strategies. Our goal here is to describe and prioritize the current areas of greatest unmet need for new antibacterial development based on an understanding of the most serious treatment challenges facing patients and their providers today. Subject headings: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology/therapeutic use; Bacterial Infections/drug therapy/epidemiology; Drug Design; Drug…

Author: Luby, E.M.; Moorman, T.B.; Soupir, M.L. Description: Application of manure from swine treated with antibiotics introduces antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes to soil with the potential for further movement in drainage water, which may contribute to the increase in antibiotic resistance in non-agricultural settings. We compared losses of antibiotic-resistant Enterococcus and macrolide-resistance (erm and msrA) genes in water draining from plots with or without swine manure application under chisel plow and no till conditions. Concentrations of ermB, ermC and ermF were all >10(9)copies g(-1) in manure from tylosin-treated swine,…

Author: Walsh, F.; Ingenfeld, A.; Zampicolli, M.; Hilber-Bodmer, M.; Frey, J.E.; Duffy, B. Description: Antibiotic application in plant agriculture is primarily used to control fire blight caused by Erwinia amylovora in pome fruit orchards. In order to facilitate environmental impact assessment for antibiotic applications, we developed and validated culture-independent quantitative real-time PCR multiplex assays for streptomycin (strA, strB, aadA and insertion sequence IS1133) and tetracycline (tetB, tetM and tetW) resistance elements in plant and soil samples. The qPCR were reproducible and consistent whether the DNA was extracted directly from bacteria,…