New drug inspired by images that captured how bacteria block antibiotic activity
Tag: Antibiotic Resistance
New Approach to Tackling Bacterial Infections Identified
Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified a new approach to controlling bacterial infections. The findings were described in the February 6 online issue of Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.
New and highly infectious E. coli strain resistant to powerful antibiotics
A new type of E. coli that is both highly infectious and resistant to some antibiotics has been discovered.
Engineering viruses to kill deadly pathogens
Northwestern University researchers have successfully coaxed a deadly pathogen to destroy itself from the inside out.
WVU to help STEM graduates invest in Mountain State’s environmental health
To foster a continuing interest in STEM fields, West Virginia University is collaborating with other state universities to establish One Health West Virginia, a network connecting research mentors with postbaccalaureate mentees who will acquire training and experience to pursue STEM-based careers and address environmental health issues in the state.
How to slow the spread of deadly ‘superbugs’
Harnessing new advances in genomic surveillance technology could help detect the rise of deadly ‘superbugs’
Researchers Discover Promising Treatment to Combat Hospital Superbug
Cal State Fullerton antibiotic-resistance researcher María Soledad Ramírez and her students have discovered a promising new therapeutic to treat Acinetobacter baumannii, a superbug commonly found in hospitals and resistant to many antibiotics.
HMS Researcher to Lead $104 Million Federal Project Tackling Antibiotic Resistance
Multi-institutional effort aims to develop technology to transform diagnosis, treatment of bacterial infections
Could microplastics in soil introduce drug-resistant superbugs to the food supply?
A new review in Pathogens suggests micro- and nanoplastics in agricultural soil could contribute to antibiotic-resistant bacteria with a ready route into our food supply.
New antibiotic from microbial ‘dark matter’ could be powerful weapon against superbugs
A new powerful antibiotic, isolated from bacteria that could not be studied before, seems capable to combat harmful bacteria and even multi-resistant ‘superbugs’.
Research gives new insights into fighting antimicrobial resistance
Cooking food thoroughly and avoiding some types of vegetables and salad during a course of antibiotic treatment could potentially reduce antibiotic resistance, by preventing bacteria carrying resistance genes getting into the gut, according to a new study.
Study reveals new mechanism for rapid evolution of multi-drug resistant infections in patients
A research study provides a transformational new insight into how antimicrobial resistance (AMR) emerges in patients with bacterial infections. The findings could help develop more effective interventions to prevent AMR infections developing in vulnerable patients.
Kenyan hospital visits linked to increased exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Kenyan patients who spend more than three days in the nation’s hospitals are more likely to harbor a form of bacteria resistant to one of the most widely used antibiotic classes, according to a recent study led by Washington State University.
A new bacterial blueprint to aid in the war on antibiotic resistance
A team of scientists from around the globe, including those from Trinity College Dublin, has gained high-res structural insights into a key bacterial enzyme, which may help chemists design new drugs to inhibit it and thus suppress disease-causing bacteria.
Alarming antibiotic resistance discovered in war-torn Ukraine
Researchers led by Lund University in Sweden have assisted microbiologists in Ukraine in investigating bacterial resistance among the war-wounded patients treated in hospitals.
“Choosing Wisely” interventions can reduce antibiotic overuse at safety-net hospitals
A statewide pay-for-performance intervention based on a set of guidelines called Choosing Wisely reduced rates of inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions to treat acute respiratory tract infections by an average of 18 percentage points, from 43% to 25%, across two large Los Angeles safety net hospitals.
Previously unknown antibiotic resistance widespread among bacteria
Genes that make bacteria resistant to antibiotics are much more widespread in our environment than was previously realised.
Public aware of and accept use of bacteria-killing viruses as alternative to antibiotics, study shows
The public are in favour of the development of bacteria-killing viruses as an alternative to antibiotics – and more efforts to educate will make them significantly more likely to use the treatment, a new study shows.
How superbug A. baumannii survives metal stress and resists antibiotics
An international team, led by Macquarie University researchers Dr. Ram Maharjan and Associate Professor Amy Cain, have discovered how the superbug can survive harsh environments and then rebound, causing deadly infections. They have found a single protein that acts as a master regulator.
A potential new weapon in the war against superbugs
For nearly 25 years, Dr. James Kirby has worked to advance the fight against infectious diseases by finding and developing new, potent antimicrobials, and by better understanding how disease-causing bacteria make us sick. In a recent paper published in PLOS Biology, Kirby and colleagues investigated a naturally occurring antimicrobial agent discovered more than 80 years ago.
New shape-shifting antibiotics could fight deadly infections
In the United States alone, drug-resistant bacteria and fungi infect almost 3 million people per year and kill about 35,000.
Wastewater more potent breeding ground for antibiotic resistance than previously known
Wastewater is a more potent environment for antibiotic resistance to evolve than previously known.
Researchers uncover the first steps driving antibiotic resistance
Report in the journal Molecular Cell crucial and surprising first steps that promote resistance to ciprofloxacin, or cipro for short, one of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics. The findings point at potential strategies that could prevent bacteria from developing resistance, extending the effectiveness of new and old antibiotics.
Human body a breeding ground for antimicrobial resistance genes
The community of microbes living in and on our bodies may be acting as a reservoir for antibiotic resistance, according to new research from the Earlham Institute and Quadram Institute in Norwich.
Scientists make critical progress toward preventing C. diff infections
A new study identified a compound that prevents C. diff infection. Researchers are now using this compound to develop new drug candidates that might eventually offer a way to prevent serious C. diff infections.
Restricting antibiotics for livestock could limit spread of antibiotic-resistant infections in people
A new study shows that a 2018 California bill banning routine antibiotic use in livestock is linked with reduction in some antibiotic-resistant infections
Daylong wastewater samples yield surprises
Testing the contents of a simple sample of wastewater can reveal a lot about what it carries, but fails to tell the whole story, according to Rice University engineers.
Post-pandemic outbreak of drug-resistant fungus in Brazil owing to abuse of medications and full up ICUs
In Brazil, a group of researchers has reported the largest outbreak to date of COVID-associated candidemia caused by the same drug-resistant strain of Candida parapsilosis, a fungus that invades the bloodstream and can lead to death.
Study shows superbugs in the environment rarely transfer over to humans: Hospitals are more risky than farms
An international team of scientists investigating transmission of a deadly drug resistant bacteria that rivals MRSA, has found that whilst the bugs are found in livestock, pets and the wider environment, they are rarely transmitted to humans through this route.
Limiting antibiotics for cows may create a new dairy market
Consumers would be willing to buy milk from cows only treated with antibiotics when medically necessary – as long as the price isn’t much higher than conventional milk, according to researchers at Cornell University.
Efflux pump inhibitors: Bulking up to beat bacteria
The medical profession is in the midst of losing an arms race.
New drug candidate fights off more than 300 drug-resistant bacteria
Urinary tract infections are common, yet can be tough to treat as the bacteria that cause them become resistant to many antibiotics. In ACS Central Science, researchers report a new molecule that inhibits drug-resistant bacteria in lab experiments, as well as in mice with pneumonia and UTIs.
Familiarity Breeds Exempt: Why Staph Vaccines Don’t Work in Humans
UC San Diego researchers say they may have found the reason why multiple human clinical trials of staphylococcus vaccines have failed: the bacteria knows us too well.
Highly Antibiotic-Resistant Strain of MRSA That Arose in Pigs Can Jump to Humans
A new study has found that a highly antibiotic-resistant strain of the superbug MRSA – methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus – has emerged in livestock in the last 50 years, probably due to widespread antibiotic use in pig farming.
National Researcher of the Year 2022 Decodes Drug Resistance in Animals – A Step towards Sustainable Solutions
Chula Veterinary Lecturer and “National Outstanding Researcher 2022” has revealed the genetic code that causes drug resistance in animals that affects human health, animals, and the environment, and suggests comprehensive solutions under the concept “One Health”.
Unprecedented Case Series Advances Promise of Phage Therapy
An international team of researchers, led by scientists at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh, report promising results from the largest case series yet of patients treated with bacteriophage therapy for antibiotic-resistant infections.
Common Drug-Resistant Superbug Develops Fast Resistance to ‘Last Resort’ Antibiotic
A study published today in Cell Reports reveals how populations of a bacterium called Pseudomonas respond to being treated with Colistin, a ‘last resort’ antibiotic for patients who have developed multi-drug resistant infections.
Hospitals Can Reduce Antibiotic Overuse by Avoiding Unnecessary Blood Draws in Critically Ill Children, Study Shows
A Johns Hopkins Children’s Center-led national quality improvement collaborative highlights a “less is more” method that may prevent antibiotic overprescribing
Scientists use machine learning to identify antibiotic resistant bacteria that can spread between animals, humans and the environment
Experts from the University of Nottingham have developed a ground-breaking software, which combines DNA sequencing and machine learning to help them find where, and to what extent, antibiotic resistant bacteria is being transmitted between humans, animals and the environment.
Pregnant Women with Penicillin Allergy Label Should be Tested to Reduce Antibiotic Exposure
A new study being presented at this year’s ACAAI Annual Scientific Meeting showed the majority of pregnant women with a penicillin allergy label who were tested were not allergic and could tolerate penicillin during labor.
Test determines antibiotic resistance in less than 90 minutes
A technique that measures the metabolic activity of bacteria with an electric probe can identify antibiotic resistance in less than 90 minutes, a dramatic improvement from the one to two days required by current techniques.
Combating Antibiotic Resistance
As bacterial infections impervious to drugs rise, so does the need to develop better antibiotics
Antibiotic resistance outwitted by supercomputers
Scientists may have made a giant leap in fighting the biggest threat to human health by using supercomputing to keep pace with the impressive ability of diseases to evolve.
A new study by an international team, co-led by Dr Gerhard Koenig from the University of Portsmouth, tackled the problem of antibiotic resistance by redesigning existing antibiotics to overcome bacterial resistance mechanisms.
New ribosome-targeting antibiotic acts against drug-resistant bacteria
A new study published in Nature reports on the molecular mechanism that allows a new antibiotic drug to overcome resistance.
Machine learning predicts antibiotic resistance spread
Genes aren’t only inherited through birth. Bacteria have the ability to pass genes to each other, or pick them up from their environment, through a process called horizonal gene transfer, which is a major culprit in the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Study Unravels the Structure of Bacterial P Pili
A research team led by Stony Brook University has used molecular biology and cryoelectron microscopy to successfully unravel the structure of bacterial appendages called P pili. The finding, published in Nature Communications, is a key step in order to target P pili in the infection process.
Do a Mom’s Medications Affect Her Breast Milk and Baby? New Center Investigates
UC San Diego School of Medicine receives $6.1M to launch a new research center studying the effects of maternal antibiotic use on breast milk and infant health. The center is funded by National Institutes of Health, as part of their new Maternal and Pediatric Precision in Therapeutics (MPRINT) Hub.
Human antibiotic use affects wild bears
Bears that are killed often end up in museum collections. New technology allows us to see how the genes in these bears have changed over the years, and the same applies to their bacteria.
History of human antibiotic use written in the oral bacteria of wild brown bears
An international team of researchers used historical museum collections to study the effects of human-made antibiotics over the entire history of their application.
COVID-19 aggravates antibiotic misuse in India
Antibiotic sales soared during India’s first surge of COVID-19, suggesting that the drugs were inappropriately used to treat mild and moderate COVID-19 infections, according to research led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The excessive usage is especially concerning because antibiotic overuse increases the risk for drug-resistant infections — not just in India, but worldwide.