Latest News in WAAW
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NewsDiscovery opens up for new ways to treat chlamydia
Researchers have discovered a type of molecule that can kill chlamydia bacteria but spare bacteria that are important for health.
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NewsScientists discover antibiotic resistance in newly identified bacterium
Staphylococcus borealis has been found to be resistant to several different types of antibiotics, posing a potentially significant problem for the elderly.
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NewsSpiritual healing sites could be linked to antibiotic-producing microorganisms
A study by AMI member Dr Gerry Quinn highlights the potential of spiritual healing sites as fertile ground for novel antibiotics, particularly from Streptomyces bacteria, known for producing the majority of current antibiotics.
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NewsShaken and stirred: why Klebsiella pneumoniae strain 007 poses a deadly threat
A new study has uncovered the secrets of a particular strain of the bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae, revealing a potentially deadly genetic capacity for both antimicrobial resistance and virulence.
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NewsFood as medicine: How diet shapes gut microbiome health
New research shows how mice fed a Western-style diet are not able to rebuild a ‘healthy’, diverse gut microbiome following antibiotic treatment. These mice were also more susceptible to infection by pathogens like Salmonella.
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NewsScientists introduce new engineered drug candidate for Mycobacterium abscessus to save lives
Scientists have introduced a promising drug candidate engineered to target a deadly and emerging infection. They took a hyper-detailed look into the problem of Mycobacterium abscessus, and chemically re-engineered a widely-used rifamycin antibiotic.
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NewsResearch advances on ‘displacing’ antibiotic resistance gene from bacteria
Scientists have identified essential genetic code for a method called plasmid curing, which aims to ‘displace’ antibiotic resistance genes from bacteria.
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NewsUltimate self-sacrifice: Bacteria activate unusual defense to evade viral attack
Scientists discover that the restriction modification system in some bacteria can kill the cell as a last resort if viruses try to thwart it. They trigger their own death using components of the very same systems that the phages were trying to inhibit.
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NewsTopical gel relieved ear infections in animals after just one dose
Researchers report a topical antibiotic gel that, applied once, cured middle ear infection within 24 hours in chinchillas. a single dose of treatment for middle ear infections could improve patient compliance and potentially reduce pediatric antibiotic usage.
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NewsBarriers remain to peptide-based therapies - but there are answers, reveals study
Peptide-based therapies offer the potential to transform how we treat a range of conditions - but have yet to be adopted for widespread clinical use. A new review uncovers the barriers to adoption and identifies ways to overcome these limitations.
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NewsNew AI technique can uncover antiviral compounds using limited data
Artificial intelligence algorithms have been combined with traditional laboratory methods to uncover promising drug leads against human enterovirus 71 (EV71), the pathogen behind most cases of hand, foot and mouth disease.
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NewsCutting off parasite’s energy supply could help fight malaria
Once inside the body of an infected person, the malaria parasite relies on a process called glycolysis to produce energy and stay alive. Blocking the enzymes involved in this process could cut off the parasite’s primary energy source and kill it.
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NewsBacteria use ancient war trick to outsmart viruses – and it could help us fight superbugs
Scientists have discovered a new type of immune defense in E. coli bacteria that turns viral infection machinery against the virus itself. They’ve named it Kongming after the Chinese military strategist who famously used enemy weapons to defeat his foes.
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NewsBroader antibiotic use could change the course of cholera outbreaks, research suggests
Disease modeling research suggests that, for some cholera outbreaks, prescribing antibiotics more aggressively could slow or stop the spread of the disease and even reduce the likelihood of antibiotic resistance.
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NewsNational-level actions effective at tackling antibiotic resistance
National-level policies can reduce the impact of antibiotic resistance across diverse countries, according to a new study. The comparison of countries found that national action was consistently associated with improved indicators of antibiotic resistance.
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NewsFungi dwelling on human skin may provide new antibiotics
Researchers have uncovered a molecule produced by yeast living on human skin that showed potent antimicrobial properties against a pathogen responsible for a half-million hospitalizations annually in the United States.
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NewsBacteria’s mysterious viruses can fan flames of antibiotic damage, according to new model
Researchers built a model that allows them to diminish phage communities from a mouse gut microbiome — and then bring them back — without affecting the bacteria. A test run found evidence that phages may increase gut bacteria’s sensitivity to antibiotics.
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NewsAntibiotic resistance: Towards drugs to disarm bacteria
Researchers have identified the mutation frequency decline (Mfd) protein, a virulence factor produced by all bacteria and essential for them to resist the host immune system. This protein has the additional function of promoting spontaneous and random mutations.
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NewsUpdated recommendations to prevent infections through effective sterilization and high-level disinfection of reusable medical devices
New comprehensive guidance has been released in the US to help healthcare facilities prevent the transmission of infections through improved practices in sterilization and high-level disinfection (HLD) of reusable medical devices.
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NewsOpen benchmarking of CycloneSeq™ for complete bacterial genomes
Benchmark data and analysis of new CycloneSEQ using novel nanopore sequencing technology demonstrates the ability to sequence complete bacterial genomes.